DU and 7-college students face off at Nilkhet intersection amid protests

Tensions escalated late Sunday night as students from Dhaka University's (DU) affiliated seven colleges staged a protest at the Nilkhet intersection, demanding an apology from DU's Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Dr. Mamun Ahmed for alleged misconduct.

The situation became heated as DU students gathered near Sir A.F. Rahman Hall in response to the protest, leading to a face-off between the two groups.

The protest began earlier in the evening when students from the seven colleges blocked key intersections, including Science Lab and Tanti Bazaar, to express their grievances. Around 11:00 PM, protesters marched from Science Lab to Nilkhet Mukti O Gonotontro Toron, where they were met with DU students. Police officers intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further and maintained order by separating the groups. Despite the tension, protesters continued chanting slogans in support of their demands.

The students from the seven colleges alleged that Dr. Mamun Ahmed had behaved disrespectfully during a recent meeting regarding their academic concerns. They claimed that when they approached him to discuss issues such as admission quotas and classroom capacities, he dismissed their concerns and asked them to leave. Additionally, they accused him of neglecting a memorandum submitted 21 days earlier.

In response to the incident, the students issued a warning from their protest at Science Lab, stating that if Dr. Mamun Ahmed did not publicly apologize within an hour, they would besiege his residence. Protest leader Abdur Rahman declared that the students would remain on the streets until their demands were met, emphasizing their commitment by stating, "Tonight, there will be no rest; our existence is at stake."

The protesters outlined six key demands, which include:  
1. The elimination of arbitrary admission quotas starting from the 2024-25 academic session.  
2. Adherence to classroom capacity limits for student admissions.  
3. Maintenance of a proper teacher-to-student ratio in new enrollments.  
4. The introduction of negative marking in admission tests.  
5. Transparency in admission fees, with funds deposited in an independent account rather than DU�s.  
6. An immediate apology from the Pro-Vice Chancellor for his alleged misconduct.

Meanwhile, DU issued a statement in response to the protests, claiming that the students had caused unrest and disrupted the Pro-Vice Chancellor�s office earlier in the day. The administration announced an emergency meeting with the principals of the seven colleges, scheduled for Monday at 12:30 PM, to address the students' concerns. 

According to the statement, this meeting aims to discuss issues related to the students� academic and administrative interests.