Students at Jahangirnagar University (JU) staged a protest demanding the formulation of a proper masterplan for development based on the opinions of all stakeholders.
Students took out a protest procession from the university`s Murad square at 2:30 p.m. on Monday. The procession passed through several streets and ended at the Transport Square through the administrative building. Later a short rally was held there.
During the protest, students carried placards with messages such as `Give us a master plan, save Jahangirnagar`, `Oppose development at the cost of lives and nature`, `Ease student hardships through automation`, and `Reject the construction of a third administrative building worth Tk 152 crore`.
Soma Dumri, the organizer of Biplobi Sattro Moitry JU wing addressed the rally moderated by Riddha Anindya Ganguly, General Secretary of the Student Union University Sangsad (Part) and said, “Administration working without a master plan has destroyed the vitality of our campus. A few months ago, in the dark of night, trees were cut in the Sundarbans area for the IBA building. In view of that, there was an investigation committee, but we did not get that investigation report. The administration is taking our movement lightly. I want to tell the administration that if our movement is taken lightly, this movement will turn into a wildfire one day.”
Sajib Ahmed, the organizer of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (Marxist) JU Branch, expressed deep concern, stating, "We`re genuinely afraid and troubled because this administration has been cutting down trees regularly, even on holidays and in the dead of night. With the winter vacation approaching, we fear that this trend might continue, and trees may be cut again during this time."
Sajib highlighted, "An astounding 1445 crore taka has been spent on projects without a master plan in place. Despite already having two administrative buildings, they`re proceeding with another, incurring an additional cost of 152 crore. We stand against this needless construction. Over 1200 trees have been felled due to unplanned university development. It`s clear: a master plan is crucial before any further development work proceeds."
Speaking in the assembly, Riddha Anindya Ganguly, general secretary of the Student Union University Parliament (Part), said, "For quite some time, we`ve been urging for a master plan, but we haven`t witnessed any progress on this front."
Ashfar Rahman, the vice-president of the students` union at University Songsod (part), said, "We`ve persistently campaigned for the master plan over an extended period. The entire university acknowledges the reasonableness of our demand. Unfortunately, there`s a lack of administration interest in pursuing this master planning initiative."
"I want to caution the administration that if even one more tree is felled during the winter season, the students will take drastic action against this administration. Despite showcasing grand plans in the name of development, the outcomes fall short. Implementing automation across the university could alleviate student struggles, yet we witness a lack of commitment to ease the students` hardships by the administration."
