DUET Students Blockade Road Over External VC Appointment

Students of the Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) protested the appointment of an external teacher as their new vice-chancellor, demanding the position be filled by an internal DUET faculty member.

The government appointed Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, a professor from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), as the new vice-chancellor on Thursday (May 14) afternoon. Rejecting this decision, students launched a protest on campus and blockaded the adjacent Dhaka-Shimultali regional road at around 9:30 PM.

The protest march began at the DUET Central Mosque, paraded through the campus, and ended with a blockade on the regional road, where students set fires in demonstration. Protesters chanted slogans demanding, "DUET's VC must be from DUET."

Protesting students argued that an internal faculty member would better understand DUET’s academic structure, student needs and administrative challenges, making them more effective at implementing long-term development plans.

The DUET Teachers' Association had previously echoed this demand during an emergency meeting. General Secretary Kazi Rafiqul Islam noted that an external VC would need time to understand the university's internal dynamics.

"While we accept the government's decision, appointing a senior internal teacher would have been better," Islam said, clarifying that teachers are not officially participating in the protests.

Gazipur Sadar Metro Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Aminul Islam confirmed the protests, adding that the situation normalized when students cleared the road and returned to campus around 11 PM.