Students of the seven colleges, affiliated with Dhaka University, demonstrated on the Mirpur Road in the capital in front of Dhaka College and blocked the Science Lab intersection on Wednesday. — FE Photo Students of the seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University (DU) staged demonstration for another day on Wednesday, demanding establishment of an independent public university.
They concluded the demonstration with a three-hour road blockade programme issuing an ultimatum that all their demand must be met by Saturday.
Abdur Rahman, a Dhaka College student and coordinator of the movement, announced the next course of their protest programme.
He stated, "We, the students of the seven affiliated colleges, will carry out a campaign on our respective campuses on Thursday. There will be no programme on Friday. We will await a decision regarding our demands until Saturday, at which point we will announce the next course of action in front of Dhaka College's main gate that afternoon."
Earlier on the day, several hundred students gathered at Dhaka College around noon and later proceeded to hold a protest programme at the Science Lab intersection.
Shortly afterwards, they marched towards Nilkhet intersection, continuing their demonstration.
The protest culminated in a large gathering in front of Dhaka College's main gate, causing significant traffic congestion in the New Market area.
During the protest, students chanted various slogans, including: "Abolish affiliation, liberate the seven colleges," "One demand, one solution-no more affiliation," "No more reforms- we want our rights," and "Education, not commerce- education for all." One of the recurring chants was "2024-no more affiliation."
Sulaiman Sikder, another Dhaka College student, said, "Today's sit-in is part of our pre-announced programme to realise our three-point demand for the establishment of an independent government university."
On Monday, students of these seven government colleges held a similar sit-in outside Dhaka College with the same demands.
The students' key demands include immediate formation of a reform committee tasked with transforming the colleges into an autonomous public university.
The committee would have 30 working days to consult with teachers, students, and stakeholders from all seven colleges to draft the framework for the university's establishment.
Additionally, the committee is expected to work in coordination with the Dhaka University administration to ensure that the current academic structure remains functional during the transition, preventing any disruption or delays for current students.
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