Students of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) on Wednesday vowed to continue their hunger strike even after Education Ministry Adviser CR Abrar met them and tried to resolve the issue.
Arriving at the campus around 9:45am, he spoke with the protesting students for around a half hour at the Student Welfare Centre.
Sitting among them, he heard how their six-point demand turned into one -- the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Alamgir Masud.
The students made it clear they would not end their strike until the VC stepped down.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Abrar said, “It’s very unfortunate the situation has come to this, forcing students into hunger strikes. They want an immediate announcement that would allow them to withdraw. I’ve explained that legal constraints must be considered in any decision.”
“I came here not as an official but as a father. I urged the more ill students to drink water and the others to protest in healthier ways, but they refused. I still hope for a peaceful and quick resolution,” he said.
Asked by syndicate members to hold talks, Abrar declined, stating his sole purpose was to persuade the students to end their strike.
By Wednesday morning, five students had fallen sick due to the extreme heat and prolonged fasting. Many are reportedly suffering from low blood pressure.
Parents concerned and fellow students from both on and off campus have gathered at the protest site.
The hunger strike began on Monday afternoon, with hundreds of students taking part. On the evening the following day, female students broke into the locked Rokeya Hall, aided by male students.
Meanwhile, more than 300 students from Dhaka-based institutions joined a 'Shahbagh Blockade' protest late Tuesday night, where Dhaka University student Musaddiq Ali Ibn Mohammad announced a call for class boycotts at all educational institutions on Wednesday.
Various organisations, including Khulna University, Khulna Citizen Forum, and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, also declared support through processions and protests.
Security on the Kuet campus has been tightened, with additional police deployed at entry gates.
Teachers continue to request that students end their strike and engage in dialogue. Despite several appeals from faculty members, including the pro-VC and director of student welfare, students remain steadfast.
The unrest stems from a violent clash on February 18 involving student political groups, after which the administration suspended 37 students and temporarily shut down academic activities. Students returned to campus in defiance on April 13 and have since demanded the VC’s resignation.