CUET teachers, officials get salaries after bank blockade

Teachers, officials and employees of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) received their salaries and allowances on Wednesday after protesting against a decision to withhold their payments.

The payments were released around 12:30pm, after employees began a blockade of the concerned Sonali Bank branch on the CUET campus at around 11am.

According to sources, the university has 1,087 teachers, officials and employees who were due to receive their September salaries and festival allowances.

Usually, the payments are made by the end of each month, but this time they were delayed until 7 October.

Sources said newly appointed Vice Chancellor (VC) Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam emailed Sonali Bank's CUET branch manager Jayanta Bhowmik on 29 September, instructing the bank to withhold the salaries and allowances, amid a movement demanding the VC’s resignation.

On 5 October, the branch manager replied that the bank had received salary bills bearing the signatures of the university's comptroller and deputy comptroller.

In a subsequent email, the VC said sending the bills to the bank without his prior approval was "unauthorised and illegal."

Jayanta Bhowmik confirmed that the bank had received the salary sheets signed by the comptroller and deputy comptroller as usual. But, the VC had instructed the bank to withhold the payments.

"After informing our higher authorities about the matter, we received instructions today to disburse the salaries and allowances. Accordingly, payments have been made to all teachers, officials and employees," he said.

CUET Employees' Association President Jamal Uddin said employees had blocked the bank in protest against the withholding of their salaries.

"According to CUET's longstanding practice, salaries and allowances are paid on the signatures of the comptroller and deputy comptroller. But this time, the new VC instructed to withhold the payments,” he said.

Notably, the academic activities at the CUET have remained suspended since 22 September, as students and teachers protest, demanding reinstatement of previous VC Professor Abu Sadaat Mohammad Sayem.

Students staged various demonstrations including torch processions and red-card showing to press home their demand.

Prof Sayem took charge as VC on 27 July but was replaced by Prof Sheikh Shariful Alam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology on 21 September.

Students began protesting from that night and later announced a shutdown demanding Prof Sayem’s reinstatement.

Prof Shariful Alam joined as the VC online on 24 September but has yet to arrive on the campus.