Student politics on BUET campus: High Court’s order will be obeyed, says VC

The vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Satya Prasad Majumder, says the High Court’s order clearing the way for student politics at the institution will be enforced on campus.

“We have to accept what the court decides. The order of the court is final. We cannot defy it,” said the vice-chancellor following the court’s verdict on Monday.

The bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar issued the order on Monday.

As a result of the decision, there is no bar to political activities on the campus of BUET, one of the leading engineering universities and academic institutions in the country.

Student politics was barred by an ‘emergency notice’ from the BUET administration following the death of Abrar Farhad, a student who was beaten to death on Oct 11, 2019.

BUET student Imtiaz Hossain Rahim filed a petition with the High Court challenging the notice.

When asked whether this decision will affect the political environment of the university, the vice-chancellor said: “If we are to maintain order in the political environment, the students, teachers and the administration have to come forward and reach a decision. We need a discussion.”

“Earlier, we had the EUCSU or Engineering University Central Students Union to look into such matters. Their work has been paused for a while. We will have to do something based on what the teachers and the students want,” he added.