Students of seven colleges, which are no longer affiliated with Dhaka University, stage a protest in the capital city on Monday to press home a six-point demand, including the resignation of DU Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed. — FE Photo The much-trumpeted seven major public colleges will no longer remain affiliated with Dhaka University (DU).
Students will, therefore, not be admitted to the colleges from the 2024-25 academic session in line with the DU guideline.
A decision to this end came from an emergency meeting on the DU campus on Monday afternoon following an ultimatum issued by agitating college students and run-ins with their DU peers the previous night.
DU Vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan, principals of the seven affiliated colleges and other high-ups joined the meeting.
"Dhaka University has decided to perform a dignified separation with the DU-affiliated seven colleges," the VC told a press conference after the meeting.
He read out a written statement at the briefing held in a classroom.
The meeting recommended conducting academic activities for 2024-25 and the following session supervised by an expert committee formed by education ministry last December in the wake of college students' demand.
The expert committee will take decisions on all matters, including the number of seats and admission fees from the 2024-25 academic year.
The DU administration will be responsible for the college students who are currently under the ongoing academic activities of DU so that their education is not affected by any means.
Pro-VCs Mamun Ahmed and Sayema Haque Bidisha, and treasurer M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury were also present at the briefing.
When asked about pro-VC Mamun's resignation demanded by students, the VC did not reply. At the beginning of the briefing, he said there would be no statement from the DU administration other than the written one.
Earlier, seven college students and their DU counterparts locked into clashes on Sunday night, leaving at least 10 injured.
Several students representing seven colleges went to discuss with pro-VC Mamun at his office regarding their five-point demand on Sunday evening.
However, the students alleged that they were humiliated by Mr Ahmed and started agitating on the DU campus, Science Lab and Nilkhet intersections.
They also marched in procession towards the VC's residence around 10:30 pm.
Later, several hundred DU students came out from different dormitories and chased the agitators. Clashes and counter-chases took placed until 2:00 am.
Witnesses said police were seen using sound grenades to disperse the students. Later, four platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were also deployed to take control of the situation.
Considering the overall situation, the administration adjourned all academic activities, including classes and exams, at DU and seven colleges on Monday.
College students seven issued a four-hour ultimatum to press home their six-point demand from a press conference held at Dhaka College at 12:00 noon.
They demanded the DU administration to seek an apology for humiliating them and resignation of pro-VC Mamun. They also called for providing a framework to establish a separate university within 24 hours.
The colleges were affiliated with DU in 2017, which was followed by controversies and agitations staged by the students on several occasions.
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