Despite assurances from Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof. Md. Rezwanul Karim regarding the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JnUCSU), agitating students locked the main administrative building on Sunday afternoon, keeping the VC inside.
Witnesses said the students staged demonstrations in front of the VC office around 3:40 pm, chanting slogans demanding a supplementary housing scholarship and a clear roadmap for the long-awaited JnUCSU election.
Earlier in the day, the VC addressed the students, saying “On Tuesday we will hold a syndicate meeting to discuss the JnUCSU policy. Once it is passed, it will be forwarded to the UGC, then to the education and law ministries, and finally to the President for approval. After the law is enacted, we will organize the JnUCSU election within 90 days.”
He also warned that if any obstacles arose in the process, he would “reveal everything publicly.”
However, the protesters expressed frustration, claiming that the administration had repeatedly given empty promises. Around 12 noon, after staging a two-hour sit-in at the university’s Shaheed Minar, students moved to the VC office and began their "Break the Silence" protest.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans such as “JnUCSU is our right, no one can stop it,” and “Scholarships are our right, not a favor,” the demonstrators vowed to continue their movement until their demands were met.
Marketing department student Zahidul Jony said, “The administration is mocking us. They always give promises, but reality turns out to be the opposite. While demands of other campuses are met, Jagannath students are consistently deprived. If our demands are ignored, the administration will have to pay a heavy price.”
Faisal Murad, convener of Bangladesh Democratic Student Union’s Jagannath University chapter, added: “Even after the ‘Long March to the Jamuna,’ we are forced to protest again, which is shameful. Supplementary housing scholarship is not charity—it is our right. JnUCSU is the platform for democratic practice of students, and we demand its proper implementation with a clear roadmap.”
