Photo from Ruet website

The students of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet) today besieged the vice-chancellor's (VC) office demanding the restoration of what they call the "credit system".

The agitated students also staged a human chain and a rally on campus around 10:30am to press home their demand. Later, they surrounded the VC office around 12:30pm, reports our Rajshahi correspondent.

According to the new curriculum introduced during the 2013-14 session, it was made mandatory that the students must complete a total of 33 out of 40 credits, in two semesters in order to get promoted for the next year. The total number of credits varies from department to department.

If not, they will have to complete all the credits in the next year again to get a promotion.

However, in the previous system there was no such rule, Roni Rahman, a second year student of Ruet told The Daily Star.

"The new system will increase session-jam," he claimed.

Meanwhile, the students of public and private medical colleges in Rajshahi staged a human chain on the Rajshahi Medical College (RMC) campus with a similar demand on what they call a "carry-on system".

Talking to The Daily Star, RMC Vice-Principal Prof Nawshad Ali said, "The students' demand is logical. I think the previous system should be restored."