Sylhet:Students of Sylhet Engineering College (SEC) have shut down the institution, demanding it be brought under Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), instead of the Directorate of Technical Education. The college has remained closed for over 24 hours due to the protest.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the protest began at 1100 am on Sunday with students blocking the main gate of the administrative building. As a result, the college principal, 14 teachers, and several officials and employees have been confined inside for over a day.
Principal Md Asaduzzaman reported that around 20 individuals have been locked in the administrative building due to the protest, and the situation has been communicated to the Education Ministry. The students demand the college be affiliated with SUST to ensure the distinctiveness and professional recognition of their engineering degrees.
Despite a transfer order from the Technical and Madrasa Education Division of the Education Ministry, which reassigned Associate Professor Md Asaduzzaman to Faridpur Engineering College and appointed Associate Professor Md Sahid Iqbal as the new acting principal, the students have rejected the change. They insist on their primary demand being met, refusing to let the new principal assume his duties.
The protest, which has seen participation from most of the college's approximately 1,000 students, has led to the suspension of all college activities, including classes, examinations, and administrative operations. Students argue that affiliation with the Directorate of Technical Education has compromised the distinctiveness of their BSc engineering degrees.
During a campus visit, Additional Deputy Commissioner Saida Parvin engaged with the students, who reiterated their intention to continue protesting until an official decision from the Education Ministry aligns with their demands.