- विज्ञापन -
Dhaka: Students at Bangladesh’s Jagannath University staged a protest against the administration, demanding acceptance of their three key demands related to housing allowances, university funding, and a new campus.
On Thursday, the students blocked Kakrail intersection in Dhaka for the second consecutive day, causing traffic disruptions in the area. They insisted they would not leave until their demands were met, after efforts by police and government officials, including Information Advisor Mahfuj Alam, to persuade them through talks failed.
Their primary demands included housing allowances for 70% of students starting from the upcoming fiscal year, approval of a full budget for the university for 2025-26, and the construction of a second campus.
Early Thursday morning, over a hundred students and some faculty members, including the vice-chancellor and pro-vice chancellor, continued their sit-in at Kakrail near the residence of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. The students declared they would remain protesting until their demands were fulfilled.
The protest turned violent on Wednesday when Advisor Mahfuj Alam was attacked with bottles while trying to address the students. A student noted that compared to police violence against the protesters, the attack was minor.
The students stated they would not vacate the area under any circumstances, holding the government fully responsible should any untoward incidents occur. Law enforcement officials, including police and BGB personnel, were on high alert, setting up barricades in front of the protesters.
Earlier, on Wednesday afternoon, over 50 individuals were injured when police used tear gas, sound grenades, and water cannons to disperse a march led by university teachers and students demanding their three-point goals.
Meanwhile, protests also took place at Dhaka University. A group called “Students Against Terrorism” held a torch procession expressing outrage over the murders of fellow students, including Shahriar Alam Shammo, and criticizing the university administration’s response to ongoing violence. They condemned the recent killings of students and called for accountability from DU’s leadership.
