Staff Reporter :
Students of the seven government colleges in Dhaka once again staged demonstrations on Thursday, demanding the immediate issuance of an ordinance to establish a new university under the proposed framework, while sections of teachers and higher secondary students voiced strong opposition to the plan.
The protests were held on the Dhaka College campus, where two parallel groups of students put forward conflicting demands. University campaigners boycotted internal exams and pressed for the government to declare the ordinance by next Monday, warning that otherwise they would escalate their movement, possibly toward the Ministry of Education. In contrast, some higher secondary students of Dhaka College rallied to preserve the institution’s existing structure. The latest student agitation followed a human chain organized on Wednesday by several hundred teachers of the seven colleges in front of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The teachers warned that the proposed framework could disrupt the academic system, reduce admission opportunities, complicate teachers’ positions and designations, and jeopardize women’s education at Eden Mohila College and Begum Badrunnessa Government Women’s College.
The teachers suggested an alternative arrangement: establishing a new university similar to the National University, with the seven colleges affiliated under it, thereby retaining their current structures. They also said they had no objection to the proposed name, “Dhaka Central University.”
Abdur Rahman, a Dhaka College student leading the pro-university campaign, told reporters: “The government must clarify by Monday how soon the ordinance for the proposed university will be issued. Otherwise, we will announce a larger protest.”
Meanwhile, Dhaka College Principal (contractual) and interim administrator of the integrated framework for the seven colleges, Professor AKM Elius, said the Ministry of Education and the UGC were working on the matter. He added that the authorities had recommended starting higher secondary classes at Eden Mohila College and Titumir College, where such programmes do not currently exist.
The debate reflects a widening threefold division over the proposed university: while one section of teachers prefers maintaining the colleges in a collegiate or affiliated structure, another supports the creation of Dhaka Central University as a separate campus with affiliated colleges, and students remain divided between supporting and opposing the plan.
The seven government colleges in question-Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul College, Begum Badrunnessa Government Women’s College, Bangla College, and Titumir College-were affiliated with Dhaka University in 2017 after years under the National University. Earlier this year, Dhaka University announced their separation, and the government decided to establish a new university for them.
Under the proposed structure, the seven colleges would be grouped into four schools: Science (Dhaka College, Eden Mohila, Begum Badrunnessa), Arts and Humanities (Bangla College), Business (Titumir College), and Law and Justice (Kabi Nazrul and Shaheed Suhrawardy). Forty per cent of classes would be conducted online and sixty per cent in person, with all examinations held on-campus.
While supporters argue that a dedicated university will enhance academic standards and administrative efficiency, opponents fear disruption, inequity, and a loss of institutional identity. The Ministry of Education has yet to make a final announcement, leaving the future of more than 150,000 students uncertain.
