C T Online Desk: Students at Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) are staging a complete shutdown, demanding the appointment of a senior professor from the university as the vice-chancellor (VC).
Classes were suspended on Monday as the administrative buildings and academic activities remained closed due to the ongoing protest.
The shutdown entered its second day, with students gathering in front of the university’s Shaheed Minar from 10am to press for their one-point demand.
The protest has garnered support from all teachers, officials, and staff of CVASU, who joined the students in solidarity.
Several teachers voiced their support for the appointment of a VC from within the university.
“We have been demonstrating since September 19, demanding the appointment of a senior professor from our institution as VC,” said Nazrul Islam, a student from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
“On Sunday, we gave the authorities 48 hours to respond to our demand, and half of that time has already passed. If our reasonable and just demand is not met, we will escalate our protest, including road blockades,” he added.
Currently, all academic and administrative buildings at the university are under lockdown.
Dr Riduan Pasha, a professor from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, said: “Our teachers have pioneered innovations such as PBL (Problem-Based Learning) and our internships are recognized by other universities across the country. Excluding these brilliant minds and appointing outsiders as VCs is a deliberate conspiracy to hinder the university’s progress. The students’ demand for a VC from CVASU is fair, and we fully support it.”
The protest began on September 19, when students submitted a memorandum to the chief advisor and education advisor through the Chittagong divisional commissioner. Since then, the students have boycotted classes and exams, held sit-ins on October 3, organized a protest rally and torch march on October 4, and enforced a road blockade on October 5. The shutdown, which began on October 6, is part of their 48-hour ultimatum.
