Fine Arts Institute of Chittagong University (CU) will be closed for the next one month. However, classes will continue online for the next month.
The university authorities have directed the students to vacate the campus and hostels by 10 pm on Thursday.
The decision was taken at the 542nd emergency syndicate meeting of the university on Thursday afternoon.
CU Proctor Dr. Rabiul Hasan Bhuiyan said that according to the decision of the emergency meeting of the University Syndicate, as part of the ongoing development plan, all the facilities of the institute will be closed from February 2 to March 1 for the smooth execution of the academic building, residential hostel and other overall structural development and repair work of the Fine Arts Institute. Classes and examination activities will be closed in the body.
Earlier, the students of Fine arts institute started agitation from the last week of October 2022 with 22 points demand including safe classrooms, construction of buildings and hostels, opening of buses, dining and canteens for students. From November 3, they started a one-phase movement to take back the Fine Arts Institute to the main campus.
Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni and Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nawfel held a meeting with a delegation of the students of Fine Arts Institute, which has been stalled for almost three months, in Chittagong on January 21. After that, the minister-deputy minister entered the fine arts campus by opening the gate with the agitators. He urged the students to return to their classes by assuring them to fulfil their logical demands.
When the students initially refused to return to class, on January 22, Deputy Commissioner Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman went to the Fine Arts Institute with some officials of the Chittagong University administration. Following their assurances, the students returned to class announcing a suspension of agitation for seven days.
After seven days of classes, the students of the Fine Arts Institute again went on strike after locking the gates and leaving the classes since their demands were not accepted.