After a 32-hour long hunger strike, the students of Jagannath University (JnU) have marched to the Secretariat in Dhaka and staged a sit-in protest there, demanding the immediate fulfillment of their three-point demands.
At around 4:15 PM on Monday, students began marching from their campus toward the Secretariat, arriving by 5:00 PM. The protesters announced an indefinite hunger strike until their demands are met. They chanted slogans such as, "No compromise, only struggle," "What is the administration doing?" and "Give us our campus now."
The students stated that they had set a one-hour ultimatum for a written commitment from the Ministry of Education to meet their demands. However, no response was received within the deadline. Consequently, they moved their protest to the Secretariat and vowed not to leave the streets until their demands are fulfilled.
The fasting students said, "We have made our demands clear. We will not leave the streets until we receive a written commitment that our demands will be addressed in Wednesday's meeting. All academic and administrative activities of the university will remain suspended until the agreement is signed."
Earlier, at a briefing on campus at 3:00 PM, the students declared that they would march to the Secretariat if their demands were not met by 4:00 PM.
In response, the Ministry of Education has scheduled a meeting to address the students' demands on Wednesday (January 15). The notice, signed by Deputy Secretary Ahmed Shibli, was announced on Monday.
The hunger strike initially began on Sunday morning (January 12) at 9:30 AM. By late night, 15 students had fallen ill and were treated at the university's medical center and other hospitals in the capital. During the strike, several students have fallen ill but continued their protest. Later, the strike continued overnight, with over 50 female students joining the protest and maintaining their vigil until morning.
The students' three-point demands:
1. Immediate signing of an agreement to hand over the construction of the second campus to Bangladesh Army. This must be completed through a special meeting, presented transparently to all, and accompanied by a written commitment from relevant ministries and departments. Any attempt to delay the process will not be accepted.
2. Expedited completion of the Bani Bhaban and Dr. Habibur Rahman Hall steel-structured buildings in Old Dhaka.
3. Provision of housing allowances for 70% of students until permanent housing facilities are made available.
JnU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Rezaul Karim acknowledged the significance of the students' movement. "Their activism has accelerated the process. Much of the work has already progressed. In the upcoming meeting, we will analyze the project's status and discuss their other demands," he stated.
