JnU Correspondent :
The agitating teachers and students of Jagannath University on Thursday staged sit-in programme in front of the Shadarghat Branch of Bangladesh Bank by locking its main entrance for two hours for the third consecutive day. They held the programme under the banner of the ‘Hall Recovery Committee’, demanding immediate removal of the branch from the land of the university.
Meanwhile, a section of the agitating students went to Old Dhaka to recover the ‘Shaheed Bazlur Rahman Hall’, ignoring police obstruction. They hanged a banner in front of the gate of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman School, claiming it their property.
Later, locals set fire on the banner. They also chased the students. They said, they don’t want halls in a residential area. The locals also formed a ‘Protirodh Mancha’ apparently to defend themselves against the students.
Before making their way towards Old Dhaka, the students gathered near the Shaheed Minar in the morning. They started walking with procession, which was stopped by the police at Rayerbazar Intersection. The students began a sit-in programme there and a team the students went with police to the hall to put up the banner. The students returned to their campus in the afternoon and declared that they would continue their demonstration demanding recovery of the grabbed halls.
They declared that they would hold a grand rally in front of the Central Shaheed Minar on March 16 to press home their demand to recover their 10 grabbed halls if their demands are not fulfilled within 48 hours. Member secretary of the Hall Recovery Committee and JnU unit BCL general secretary Shirajul Islam made the announcement.
It is mentionable that the Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman School run by the Dhaka City Corporation is on the land of the ‘Shaheed Bazlur Rahman Hall’ located in old Dhaka’s Bangshal. It was occupied following a clash with the locals in 1985.
Headmaster of the school Mafizur Rahmman told The New Nation that the demonstration of JnU students is rational and relevant. But it is government duty to redeem their grabbed halls.
On the other hand, the teachers and the students took part in yesterday’s demonstration boycotting all classes and exams like the previous tow days. During the sit-in programme in front of the Bangladesh Bank, none was allowed to enter the bank while a number of clients remain snared inside the bank. The Gulistan-Shadarghat route halted for several hours, creating panic among the people. In the time, the relentless students set fire on at least 7 tyres and logs.
The university teachers and the students have been demonstrating since February 12 for recovering the halls that have been grabbed by influential people, including police, lawmakers and Awami League leaders since over two decades.
