Patuakhali Science and Technology University
Profile
- Ownership
- public
- Vice-Chancellor
- Prof. Dr. Kazi Rafiqul Islam
- Students
- 3752
- Faculty
- 261
- Annual budget
- —
- Established
- 2000
- District
- Patuakhali
Deep administrative paralysis at PSTU as of mid-May 2026: the VC-vs-Pro-VC factional conflict rooted in the December 2025 Regent Board promotion dispute escalated into campus violence on May 11, a three-day work stoppage, and suspension of academic activities. PSTU was NOT among the 11 universities that received new VCs from the BNP-Tarique government on May 14, 2026, meaning VC Kazi Rafiqul Islam (appointed September 2024 under the Yunus interim government) remains formally in post as of verification date.
Recent activity
- 2025-12-11 syndicate 57th Regent Board meeting approves promotion of only 3 of 24 applicants; VC Kazi Rafiqul Islam allegedly forms an alternative evaluation committee bypassing board norms, blocking promotions of BNP-aligned faculty including Associate Professor ABM Saiful Islam and cancelling appointment of Jinat Nasrin Sultana ↗↗
- 2025-12-16 protest BNP-aligned teachers led by Pro-VC S.M. Hemayet Jahan boycott Victory Day celebrations at PSTU; demand VC withdraw disciplinary actions against officials and appoint Prof. Mamun-ur-Rashid as Dean ↗
- 2026-01-13 academic_council PSTU issues notice of faculty name restructuring approved by Regent Board and Academic Council; multiple faculty names formally changed ↗
- 2026-03-27 admission GST cluster undergraduate admission test (C Unit, Business Studies) held at PSTU and participating universities; PSTU is part of the 19-university GST cluster for 2025-26 session; A and B unit tests follow April 3 and April 10 ↗↗
- 2026-04-06 admission GST B Unit (Humanities) admission result for 2025-26 published; PSTU subject-criteria guideline for GST admission published May 1, 2026 ↗↗
- 2026-05-11 violence At least 10 teachers and officials injured when outsiders allegedly led by sacked Jubo Dal member Ripon Sharif attack a sit-in protest demanding VC Kazi Rafiqul Islam's removal; PSTU security officer files police case against 26 individuals; one arrest made ↗↗
- 2026-05-12 closure PSTU suspends all examinations and academic activities indefinitely following May 11 violence; university notice confirms continuation of all activities posted same day amid continuing work stoppage ↗↗
- 2026-05-13 protest PSTU work stoppage enters its third consecutive day (since May 11); teachers, officials and employees continue sit-in outside administrative building demanding VC Kazi Rafiqul Islam's removal and justice over the attack ↗
Provenance & notes
established_year: 2000 is the year PSTU formally started functioning (gazette notification 8 July 2000, converting Patuakhali Agricultural College into PSTU); the Act was enacted in parliament on 26 February 2002 under PM Khaleda Zia. Predecessor institution traced to 1972 private college, nationalized 1979 as Patuakhali Agricultural College under BAU affiliation. legal_basis uses 'PSTU Act 2001' per task brief; parliamentary passage was February 2002. Two campuses: main at Dumki, Patuakhali (97 acres); outer at Khanpura, Babuganj, Barishal (12.97 acres). student_count 3,752 from pstu.ac.bd via universityadmissionbd.com aggregator (confirmed in 3,000-3,999 range by unirank and Wikipedia ~3,000); task brief figure of ~6,500 is not corroborated by any primary or credible secondary source and is set aside. faculty_count 261 from universityadmissionbd.com; unirank band 200-299 consistent; PSTU officers page lists 209 academic staff (Wikipedia citation), setting 261 as best available. annual_budget_bdt null: no primary budget document located. vc_since 2024-09-25 = gazette notification date per Wikipedia/Kazi Rafiqul Islam article; Wikipedia also states he assumed office 26 September 2024 (one day later, likely publication lag). VC Kazi Rafiqul Islam is Professor of Pharmacology at BAU, appointed on four-year deputation. PSTU was not among the 11 universities receiving new VCs under BNP-Tarique government on May 14, 2026 (confirmed via UNB report listing all 11). Campus is at severe administrative risk: factional VC-ProVC dispute, May 11 violence, three-day work stoppage; situation ongoing as of May 18, 2026. name_bn uses standard Bangla transliteration: পটুয়াখালী বিজ্ঞান ও প্রযুক্তি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patuakhali_Science_and_Technology_University
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazi_Rafiqul_Islam_(academic)
- https://www.pstu.ac.bd/vice-chencellors/vice-chancellor
- https://www.pstu.ac.bd/officers
- https://www.pstu.ac.bd/officers-profile
- https://pstu.ac.bd/about/historical-outline
- https://www.pstu.ac.bd/funded-projects
- https://admission.pstu.ac.bd/Notices
- https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/education/kazi-rafiqul-islam-appointed-pstus-new-vice-chancellor-950161
- https://viewsbangladesh.com/10-including-teachers-injured-in-attack-on-antivc-protest-at-pstu/
- https://english.thedailycampus.com/engineering-and-science-university/2638
- https://www.jagonews24.com/en/education/news/92618
- https://www.businesstimes-bd.com/bangladesh/6802
- https://www.businesstimes-bd.com/bangladesh/6689
- https://www.businesstimes-bd.com/bangladesh/2049
- https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/govt-appoints-new-vcs-to-11-public-universities/185962
- https://www.unirank.org/bd/uni/patuakhali-science-and-technology-university/
- https://universityadmissionbd.com/patuakhali-science-and-technology-university/
- https://www.forsuerasmus.info/project.php