Students of Jagannath University (JnU) have announced that they will continue their protest until their demands are fulfilled.
The announcement came on Wednesday (14 May) afternoon while students were staging a sit-in and blocking the road at Kakrail intersection in Dhaka, defying police obstruction.
Meanwhile, Assistant Private Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Chief Adviser, Shabbir Ahmed, held a meeting with five university representatives, including the Vice Chancellor and the Treasurer.
Both students and teachers demanded justice for the attacks on them. “The assault on our teachers and students must be investigated,” they said.
Both students and teachers demanded justice for the attacks on them. “The assault on our teachers and students must be investigated,” they said.
Prof. Dr. Rois Uddin, General Secretary of the JnU Teachers’ Association, stated, “We are deeply shocked by the government’s actions. Over a hundred students were injured. The police involved in the attacks must be held accountable.”
During the protest, students chanted slogans such as: “JnUians have awakened,” “Why is my brother starving, what is the government doing?” “We came to Jamuna, we won’t leave empty-handed,” and “Why is my brother injured? We demand answers.”
After 3pm, JnU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Rezwanul Karim, Treasurer Prof. Dr. Sabina Sharmin, and Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies Manjur Morshed joined the students at their roadside sit-in.
Earlier in the day, at 11am, students and teachers launched a long march towards the residence of the Prime Minister’s Chief Adviser with three key demands. Police attempted to stop the march by baton-charging the protesters and using tear gas and sound grenades, leaving over a hundred students, teachers, and journalists injured.
The three main demands of the students are:
Introduce a housing stipend for 70% of Jagannath University students starting from the 2025–2026 fiscal year until proper accommodation is ensured.
Approve the university’s proposed full budget for FY 2025–2026 without cuts.
Approve the second campus project in the next ECNEC meeting and implement it as a priority project.
