On February 17, members of the Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were distributing membership forms on the campus of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET). Owing to the decision made by the 93rd (emergency) Syndicate meeting on August 11, 2024, which banned all political activities on campus, general students viewed this as a direct violation. Thus, protests erupted the following day on Tuesday, February 18.

According to accounts by KUET students present at the campus that day, the situation escalated during a protest by the general students when they passed a group of JCD members and removed them from campus. Following this, students claim that JCD members brought local BNP members into the campus, after which clashes erupted between them and the general students. Police sources say that around 45 people were injured while the students and a teacher say the number is around 150. The injured were taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital, the Khulna Medical Centre, and other clinics.

Following the incident, on Tuesday night, the general students demanded that the vice chancellor (VC) of the university, Dr Muhammad Masud, take responsibility for his failure to ensure the safety of students and step down alongside the pro-vice chancellor and the director of student welfare. They further demanded that cases be filed by the university authorities against perpetrators, medical expenses of all injured students be covered by the university, student politics be officially banned on campus, anyone involved in politics be expelled, and for the military to provide security until February 28.

These demands come in the wake of the students claiming there were delays on the part of the university authorities in calling law enforcement agencies on time, even though the clash lasted about four hours. Students have expressed further grievances about university authorities and teachers taking no significant actions to ensure the safety of their students while the clash was happening.

Despite the students' ultimatum of boycotting all classes and exams lest their demands be met by 1 PM on Wednesday, February 19, their demands were not fulfilled, to which they responded by locking the administrative and academic buildings at 1:30 PM. A syndicate meeting was held later which resulted in the VC accepting most of the students' demands, including that of banning all student politics on campus and expulsion of all those engaged in the clash that ensued on Tuesday, February 18. However, the call for the resignation of university authority personnel was not heard. The students announced that all academic activities would be suspended until February 28 to ensure students' safety.

Protests erupted on campuses across the country, including at Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Jahangirnagar University, and Jagannath University, in solidarity with the students of KUET who stood against student politics.

Videos showcasing persons carrying machetes and an individual firing a gun amidst the clash went viral on social media on Tuesday afternoon. BCD has since denied any claims regarding their members or affiliated individuals being the perpetrators in the videos.

At a press conference on Wednesday, BCD General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir claimed that it was members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) that initiated the attack, with Omar Faruk, convenor of KUET ADSM being identified as an instigator. Ahmed Ishtiaque, former head of the Khulna city Chhatra Dal, claimed that the Islami Chhatra Shibir and Chhatro League were trying to stop the activities of BCD. Further claims were made that members of BCD blocked an attack on regular students by the Chhatro Shibir and Chhatro League. Arafat Hossain Millon, president of the Khulna city Islami Chatra Shibir, denied any such claims.

On Thursday, cases were filed by the university authorities against 500 unnamed individuals involved in the clash on Tuesday. KUET students carried out a Red Card protest on campus to reiterate their demands, including the resignation of university authorities and legal action against perpetrators.

On Friday, the students locked the VC's residence while the VC was in Dhaka for medical treatment, saying that their demands had not been fulfilled and denying all allegations of mistreatment of the VC. They also carried out an exhibition at the Student Welfare Centre titled "Roktakto Kuet 18.02.25".

On Saturday, students marched within campus premises, frustrated that their demands had not been met. They claimed that no perpetrators had been arrested, no acknowledgement of responsibility was made by university authorities, the VC did not acknowledge the involvement of the BCD or BNP, and that the university authorities were complicit in the attacks that happened as they were enabling student politics on campus.

The general students also submitted a letter via email to the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Prof Muhammad Yunus, asking for their demands to be fulfilled. The following day, on February 23, 80 KUET students headed to Dhaka and a delegation of five delivered the memorandum to the Chief Adviser, whose assistant personal secretary met the students.

The students restated their six-point demands there, which included the immediate resignation of the VC and pro-VC, legal punishment against perpetrators of the attack, a ban on student politics on campus, ensuring student safety, removal of the ghost case against 500 unnamed individuals which the students feared would be utilised against them, and appointment of a new VC. They further described the horrors of the clash on February 18, including the responsibility that they feel the university authorities must bear.

On February 24, the students broke the lock on the VC's residence and asked him to vacate the house by the next morning when he returned to his residence. Failure to meet the demand led to the students attempting to lock the residence again in the morning with the VC and teachers inside but they stopped once the teachers came out and talked them down, with some students claiming that the teachers threatened to hamper the students' academics otherwise.

On February 25, the KUET administration issued a notice declaring all academic activities to be suspended indefinitely due to security concerns and instructed students to vacate all residence halls by 10 AM on February 26 following a decision made during the 99th syndicate meeting.

References:

The Business Standard (February 25, 2025). Kuet closed indefinitely, students asked to vacate halls amid calls for VC's resignation

The Daily Star (February 22, 2025). Kuet students write to CA for removal of VC, Pro-VC

The Daily Star (February 19, 2025). Kuet tensions spill onto other campuses

Dhaka Tribune (February 18, 2025). Clashes erupt at Kuet over demand to ban student politics

Dhaka Tribune (February 18, 2025). Security increased at Kuet after clashes over student politics leave several injured

The Daily Star (February 24, 2025). 'Ban politics on campus, remove VC'

Prothom Alo (February 24, 2025). কুয়েট হামলায় সরকার কি দায় এড়াতে পারবে