Despite discussions with Education Adviser CR Abrar, students of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) remain firm in their single-point demand — the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor.

CR Abrar visited the campus at 10 am on Wednesday. Although he repeatedly urged the students to end their hunger strike, they declared that they would not break their fast until the Vice-Chancellor resigns.

During the discussion, the adviser informed the students that a committee had been formed by the Ministry of Education to address their demands. He assured them that the committee would soon engage in dialogue. “There is no scope for a hasty decision, as it would not hold up in court,” he said.

However, the protesting students responded, “We have been demonstrating for two months, but our demands are yet to be met. We will not wait any longer. Even if we have to die, we will not end our hunger strike without the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation.”

Following the discussion, the Education Adviser left the campus, accompanied by Khulna Divisional Commissioner Firoz Sarkar and Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam.

On February 18, clashes broke out on campus multiple times among students over the demand to ban student politics, leaving more than fifty students injured. The following day, students locked the administrative and academic buildings in protest. On February 20, they held a demonstration and symbolically showed a ‘red card’ to all political student organizations, while also demanding the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor.

Subsequently, on February 23, students traveled from Khulna to Dhaka and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Adviser. In it, they placed six demands, including the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation and the prosecution of those involved in the attacks.

In response, the university’s highest decision-making body, the Syndicate, held its 99th emergency meeting on February 25 and decided to shut down all residential halls indefinitely. The following day, all students were instructed to vacate the halls by 10 am.

Since April 13, the students have been campaigning solely for the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation. On Monday (April 21) at 4 PM, they began an indefinite hunger strike.