Bangladesh, News

CUET Vice-Chancellor Crisis Deepens After Students Lock VC Inside

Mahibur Fakir [Hillol]

October 13, 2026
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The CUET vice-chancellor crisis took a sharper turn on Monday, October 12, 2026. Students at the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) locked the building that houses the new vice-chancellor (VC) with him inside. Prothom Alo reported at 11 am on Tuesday that he still could not leave after more than 23 hours. The students say they will open the gate only if he resigns. This report uses information published up to October 13, 2026.

What Happened in the CUET Vice-Chancellor Crisis on Monday and Tuesday

Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) became the CUET VC on September 21. He joined online on September 24, but he could not enter the campus until Monday, Prothom Alo reported. On Monday morning, he reached the campus and went into his office.

Prothom Alo reported that he broke a padlock that students had placed on the administrative building. The Daily Star noted that accounts differ on who removed the lock. Students say leaders of the CUET unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the BNP’s student wing, entered with him. However, unit president Wasif Rashed said they did not go in with the VC, according to The Daily Star. He said the VC went in with teachers and officials, and that Chhatra Dal leaders came later to greet him. Another unit leader told Prothom Alo that they entered together.

Soon after, students gathered outside and gave the VC a noon deadline to leave. When the deadline passed, they locked the building again and cut off its electricity and water, Prothom Alo reported. As a result, between 10 and 11 people stayed inside, including Rashed and several current and former students.

At about 1:30 am on Tuesday, at least one person inside fell ill. The Business Standard quoted the VC as saying two former students developed high blood pressure complications. A doctor from the CUET Medical Centre entered after the VC asked for help, the outlet reported.

At first, the VC said he was well. Later, he told Prothom Alo that he had a severe headache and could not sleep. He added that he has no problem with protests, but he called the cut to electricity, water and gas inhumane.

Meanwhile, students say they will unlock the gate as soon as he resigns. The VC said he had received no written demands, and he would pass any such demands to the Ministry of Education or the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Why Students Are Protesting: The Roots of the CUET VC Crisis

The dispute began on September 21. That day, the government removed Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem as VC, only 56 days after his appointment on July 27. The same notice named Alam as his replacement. It gave no reason for the change, The Daily Star reported.

For context, under the CUET Act, 2003, the Chancellor can remove a VC at any time without a reason. Even so, The Daily Star wrote in an analysis that the education ministry owes the university an explanation.

Students say they have no personal objection to Alam. Instead, they told Dhaka Tribune in September that their complaint is Sayem’s removal after 56 days with no visible explanation.

Because of the decision, protests began that night. A “complete shutdown” started on September 22, and classes and exams have stayed suspended since. In addition, teachers, officers and employees joined in work stoppages. On Monday, their associations announced a total non-cooperation programme against the new VC, Prothom Alo reported. In short, students have two demands. They want the new VC to resign, and they want Sayem back.

Salary Dispute Adds Pressure to the CUET Vice-Chancellor Crisis

A separate pay dispute added to the tension in early October. Jagonews24 reported that the new VC told the Sonali Bank branch on campus to hold the September salaries and festival allowances of 1,087 teachers, officers and employees. In his letter, he called the bills unauthorised because they reached the bank without his prior approval.

However, Officers’ Association president Syed Mohammad Ikram told Prothom Alo that the rules in use so far do not require the VC’s signature for salary payments.

Employees then surrounded the bank branch on October 7. The Daily Ittefaq reported that the bank paid the money about 90 minutes later. The branch manager said senior bank officials ordered the payment. That ended the pay problem, but the main dispute over the VC post remains unsolved.

Are Politics Involved in the CUET VC Crisis?

First, Prothom Alo reported that some people at the policymaking level of the government suspect political links behind the protests. One of them told the newspaper that the VC post is administrative, and that the government decides who is best suited for it.

However, students reject that view. They told Prothom Alo that their movement has no link with party politics and that students joined on their own. Rashed claimed that a vested group had taken over the movement, according to The Daily Star.

Prothom Alo also reported that some CUET sources believe rivalry among local ruling party leaders in Chattogram may have shaped the appointment. That claim is unconfirmed. The reports reviewed do not confirm a political link in either direction.

Government Response and What Comes Next in the CUET Vice-Chancellor Crisis

Overall, Prothom Alo noted that the government has shown no visible effort to end the crisis. On October 3, students asked Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to step in, bdnews24.com reported. On Monday night, a local land administration officer from Raozan visited the building and asked students to restore electricity and water, according to bdnews24.com.

As of the reports reviewed on October 13, no final solution had been announced. Therefore, key questions remain open. Will the new VC resign? Will the government reverse its decision? When will classes restart?

Meanwhile, more than three weeks of closed classes have raised fears of session backlogs, Prothom Alo reported. Families with relatives at CUET can follow official announcements from the Ministry of Education and CUET.

FAQs

Q1. Who is the new CUET vice-chancellor?
Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam of KUET. The government appointed him on September 21, 2026, to replace Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem.

Q2. Why are CUET students protesting?
They want the new VC to resign and Sayem to return. They say Sayem left office after only 56 days with no visible explanation.

Q3. Why is the CUET VC locked inside his office?
Students locked the building on October 12 after he did not leave by their noon deadline. They say they will open it if he resigns.

Q4. Are classes running at CUET?
No. Classes and exams have stayed suspended since September 22, according to Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.

Q5. Has the government ended the crisis?
Not as of the reports reviewed on October 13. No final decision had been announced.

Sources and References