Feni Correspondent :
Feni University students have blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway demanding a permanent campus. They took up positions on the northern side of the Mahipal Flyover in Feni on Thursday. This temporarily stopped traffic and caused long traffic jams in both lanes.
It is reported that, in addition to the permanent campus, the university’s own bus service, a ban on student politics, and a change in the chairman of the Board of Trustees, the protesters began a march from the campus to the city’s Hazari Road and blocked the highway. During this time, they raised various protest slogans. The protesters remained on the road until 1 pm.
Student Sajidul Islam said, “We have declared a shutdown of all university activities until our demands are met. We have blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. If the demands are not implemented soon, more stringent programs will be given.”
A student agitator said, “We have been making these demands for a long time, but nothing has been received except assurances. Now we have come to the highway under compulsion. If we do not have a permanent campus, the UGC may include our university in the ‘red list’, then the lives of thousands of students will face extreme uncertainty.
At that time, Feni Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education) Ms. Fatima Sultana, Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Md. Ariful Islam Siddiqui, Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sultana Nasrin Kanta, and officials from various levels of the army and administration went to the highway. They requested the students to move away from the highway.
In this regard, Feni Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Md. Ariful Islam Siddiqui said that the highway was blocked in view of the students’ long-standing demands. Later, they came to the spot and talked to them with the district administration officials. Now the agitators have moved away from the highway.
On August 13, the students presented 15-point demands for the development of the university. Despite the assurances of the authorities to accept their demands, the students boycotted classes and exams on October 21 and staged a sit-in on the campus as their demands were not met. They last staged a sit-in on February 18 to press for their demands.
Earlier, on Wednesday (August 20) night, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr. M Jamaluddin Ahmed, resigned in the face of student protests. Since August 18, the students have been staging an indefinite ‘shutdown’ program for various demands, including a permanent campus.
