Chuet students have been protesting for four days over the death of two classmates.
Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CHUTE) has been declared closed for an indefinite period and students have been ordered to leave the hall due to the road blockade and vandalism for the fourth consecutive day due to the death of two students in a road accident.
Chuet Assistant Director (Public Relations) Mohammad Rashedul Islam informed this information to bdnews24.com on Thursday afternoon.
He said that as the agitators vandalized cars and set fire to cars during the blockade on Thursday, the emergency meeting of the academic council of the university presided over by the vice-chancellor decided to close the university for an indefinite period.
According to a notice signed by Chuet Deputy Registrar Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, all academic activities including examinations of Chuet will be closed. Males must vacate the hall by 5pm on Thursday and 9am on Fridays.
On Monday afternoon, two students of Chuet died in a collision between a bus and a motorcycle on Chittagong-Kaptai road adjacent to Zia Nagar Selina Quader Chowdhury College in Rangunia Upazila of Chittagong.
The deceased are Shanto Saha of the 20th batch and Taufiq Hossain of the 21st batch of Chuet Civil Engineering Department. Another student seriously injured in the incident is undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
Aggrieved by the death of a classmate, the students had been protesting at Chute Gate since Monday afternoon. That night they set fire to a bus of Shah Amanat Paribahan Group. Besides, the bus of the same service was vandalized.
Chuet authorities, transport owners, labor representatives and student representatives sat in a meeting with Chittagong District Commissioner on Tuesday. There was an assurance of compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the victims and Rs 3 lakh to the injured students.
Besides, an investigation committee headed by Additional District Magistrate AKM Golam Morshed Khan was also formed to investigate the incident.
But the students declared 10 points and continued the agitation. They demanded compensation of Rs 2 crore to the families of the two students killed.
Since Wednesday morning, the students protested again at the university gate, and the traffic on that road was stopped.
Students blocked the Chittagong-Kaptai road again from Thursday morning. Most of the passengers were forced to walk from the cars. Children and old people were also dropped from the car.
Protesters vandalized a few cars and set them on fire on Thursday afternoon. Then the decision to close the university came from an emergency meeting of the academic council.
