Academic and development activities at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) have come to a standstill due to the absence of a vice-chancellor.

Without the approval of a VC, the university is unable to utilise unspent funds under its current revenue budget. 

Officials warned that if the remaining allocations are not spent by 30 June, the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year, KUET could face a significant financial setback.

Currently, development projects worth approximately Tk600 crore are underway. However, delays in fund disbursement have raised serious concerns about their continuity. 

According to the Chief Engineer’s Office, major projects include the construction of a 10-storey academic building, two 10-storey student dormitories (for male and female students), a five-storey foreign student dormitory with a visiting faculty and residential buildings for faculty and staff. Additional infrastructure initiatives such as solar power installation, internal RCC roads, drainage systems and land development are also in progress.

University sources confirmed that all financial transactions require the VC’s signature, including bill clearances, salary disbursement and project payments. 

Due to the prolonged vacancy in the post, over 1,100 teachers, officers, and staff have not received their May salaries or Eid-ul-Azha bonuses, severely impacting their livelihoods and celebrations.

An official of the university’s accounts section said, “No financial transaction, even a single bill, can be processed without the VC’s authorisation.”

Contractors involved in the ongoing infrastructure projects have also expressed frustration. 

Engineer Md. Saiful Islam, representing Civil Engineering and SSL, which is overseeing the academic building construction, said, “We received our last payment before Eid-ul-Fitr. Since then, there has been no clearance of bills. We are continuing work on two projects worth Tk150 crore by taking loans. Without payments, we cannot sustain progress or pay our workers.”

Dr. Zulfiquar Hossain, Director of the Infrastructure and Academic Expansion Project, echoed these concerns, saying, “If the pending payments are not settled by 30 June, contractors may halt work, bringing all Tk600 crore worth of development activities to a standstill.”

Chief Engineer A.B.M. Mamunur Rashid also confirmed that most contractors haven’t received payments for two months. “If we fail to utilize the allocated budget by fiscal year-end, it will result in considerable financial loss,” he added.

The crisis stems from a leadership vacuum. Following faculty and student protests, the Ministry of Education removed VC Prof. Dr. Muhammad Masud and Pro-VC Prof. Dr. Shariful Alam from their posts on 25 April. 

Subsequently, acting VC Dr Md Hazrat Ali, who assumed responsibility, departed for Dhaka on 19 May and formally resigned on 22 May. Since then, the university has been left without an administrative head.

On 4 June, the Ministry’s Secondary and Higher Education Division issued circular inviting applications for the VC post, with a submission deadline of 26 June. 

However, until a new appointment is made, uncertainty continues over the disbursement of salaries, bonuses, and project funding for June.

Concerned citizens and education stakeholders in Khulna stressed that appointing a new VC is essential, but not sufficient. 

They emphasised that restoring a politically neutral environment, similar to that of Khulna University through a trilateral dialogue between students, faculty, and the government, is crucial to bringing KUET back to its former academic and administrative stability.