The fate of 171 students of Computer Science and Engineering department of Chittagong University (CU) is hanging in the balance as the university authorities have yet to come up with a decision what will happen to the students whose answer scripts were found burnt in a mysterious fire on Wednesday. 

The students are also in a quandary if they have to appear in the exams again.

While talking with The Daily Star, many students said they do not want to appear in the exams again. If they have to appear again, it will put an added pressure on them.

On condition of anonymity, a student of 7th semester said of the five courses of the semester, they have already finished exams of four courses.  

Of the four courses, answer scripts of three courses were burnt in the fire.

"We don't know what is waiting for us. Taking preparation for the exams again will be a disaster for us," he added. 

Another student of 5th semester, who also did not want to be named, said answer scripts of one of the courses were burnt.

He said his exam went well.

"I am not sure about the outcome if I have to sit for the exam again," he said. "Who will take the responsibility?" he questioned.  

On Wednesday night, a total of 700 answers scripts of nine courses from third, fifth and seventh semesters of CSE department were found burnt.

"Miscreants" broke three locks and took the answer scripts to the rooftop of the building and then set fire to those.

Following the incident, the university's chief security officer Mohammad Bajal Haque filed a general diary (GD) with Hathazari Police Station.

Meanwhile, some students are even thinking if they will be declared pass in those courses.

Asked, chairperson of the department, Prof Mohammad Osiur Rahman, said the department's academic committee and syndicate will take the decision after the probe committee submits its report.

“If the bodies decide to take examinations again, we will do that,” he said.

If they want to declare everybody pass, the department will act accordingly, he added.  

Prof Mahabubur Rahman, convener of the three-member probe committee, said they had primarily visited the department and talked to the teachers, students, officials and staff of the department.

They asked for the CCTV footage of engineering faculty dean office and will scrutinise the footage to find out the culprits.  

CU Assistant Proctor Litan Mitra, also one of the members of the probe committee, termed the incident pre-planned.

Contacted, Belal Mohammad Jahangir, officer-in-charge (OC) of Hathazari Police Station, said they are conducting investigation to find out the culprits.

CU Vice-Chancellor Prof Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury said he was shocked by the incident. He said they would not spare anyone found involved in the incident.