7 colleges warn of movement if gazette not issued by Sunday

NN Online:

Students from seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University on Saturday gave a 24-hour ultimatum, demanding the issuance of a gazette notification for the formation of an interim administrative body to oversee the university transition.

At an emergency press conference held in front of Eden Mohila College around 4 PM, student representatives warned that failure to meet their demand by Sunday (May 18) would lead to intensified protests, including a gherao of the concerned ministry starting Monday (May 19).

Tanzimul Abid and Zafrin Akhtar, speaking on behalf of the general students and the transition oversight team, read a written statement outlining five major demands. “We are being forced to leave our classrooms and return to the streets time and again. If the gazette isn’t issued by tomorrow, we will begin stronger protests from Monday,” said Zafrin.

She added that the next phase of their movement would be announced through press releases based on how the authorities respond. “This time, we will not return to campus until the ordinance for the new university is in our hands,” she stated firmly.

The key demands include:

Immediate issuance of a gazette forming the interim administration

Publication of an academic calendar to address session backlogs

Halting the collection of extra fees

Announcing the 2024–25 admission test date within two working days of forming the interim body

Releasing the outline, logo, and monogram of the proposed Dhaka Central University within five working days

The students further demanded that the ordinance for the new university be issued by June 16 and that adequate budgetary allocations be ensured in the 2025–26 national budget.