After being released from a blockade of his office and receiving treatment in hospital, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Sk Shariful Alam has held a syndicate meeting online.
However, only six of the 15 members of the syndicate attended the online meeting on Friday evening.
Aside from the VC, none of the six other university representatives were present at the syndicate meeting.
Shariful went to the campus on Oct 12 amid a movement by students and teachers at the institution calling for his predecessor’s reappointment. At noon that day, the protesting students locked the administrative building, with the VC and others inside.
The VC was released from the blockade on the evening of the following day, Oct 13, with the help of the deputy commissioner and the district superintendent of police.
He was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital that night.
Shariful has been staying at the Chittagong Circuit House since being discharged from the hospital on Thursday after treatment. He called an online syndicate meeting on Friday evening.
Asked about the absence of the other university representatives in the online syndicate meeting, syndicate member and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning Prof Md Rashidul Hasan told bdnews24.com: “I am on leave and outside Chattogram on family business. He [the vice-chancellor] informed us about the syndicate meeting by sending a link to the Zoom meeting on WhatsApp.
File photo: Students of the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology display red cards in a protest against the new vice-chancellor, Sk Shariful Alam.
“I could not attend the meeting because I was on leave and had family business.”
In response to another question, Rashidul said: “I have been a member of the syndicate for two years. There has never been an instance of an online syndicate meeting before.”
When contacted several times to inquire about the decision to hold the meeting, the VC did not pick up the phone.
However, Shariful shared the agenda of the syndicate meeting on WhatsApp and stated that three decisions had been taken at the meeting, adding that six members of the syndicate were present.
There are a total of 17 member positions in the CUET syndicate, including that of the vice-chancellor. Out of these, the positions of the pro vice-chancellor and the registrar are vacant. Out of the remaining 15 members, nine were absent.
Shariful said in a written message that the agenda of the meeting was to review the demands raised by CUET teachers, students, officials and employees, to resolve the academic deadlock and determine an outline for resuming classroom-based education programmes.
Noting that three decisions were taken at the meeting, he wrote that the syndicate has expressed concern that the ongoing situation has disrupted the academic life of students and created a risk of session jams.
In the overall interest of the university and the future protection of students, teachers, officials and employees were all urged to adopt a responsible and positive attitude and to return to regular class activities immediately.
In addition, the syndicate meeting decided to organise a discussion and exchange of views with local public representatives and stakeholders (teachers, students, officials, employee representatives) with the university administration to restore a normal environment and mutual trust on the campus.
In addition, it was decided to send a recommendation to the Ministry of Education to form an “impartial and high-powered” committee to resolve the deadlock and start educational activities without delay.
When called, Chattogram Divisional Commissioner and syndicate member Md Ziauddin said on WhatsApp that he was engaged in a recruitment examination. Asked about the syndicate meeting via WhatsApp at a later time, he did not comment further.