Students of Jagannath University (JnU) have announced that they will launch nonstop demonstrations starting on Thursday if their ongoing three-point demand is not met.
They have already blocked traffic from Kakrail intersection to the southern road next to the chief adviser’s residence, and also shut down access towards Matshya Bhaban using makeshift barricades.
On Wednesday, students staged an overnight sit-in in front of the chief adviser’s residence, Jamuna. As of 9:30am on Thursday, over a hundred students were seen gathered near Kakrail Mosque in front of Jamuna.
They said the protest will continue until their demands are fulfilled. After 11am, teachers and students from all departments are expected to join the demonstration.
Ashraful Islam, a second-year student of the Bangla department, said that after Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam spoke to the students late at night, no other government official engaged with them.
The students rejected Mahfuz Alam’s assurance that discussions with the education adviser would lead to a swift resolution of the crisis. Several student leaders from various organizations have already expressed solidarity with the movement.
At around 12am on Wednesday, Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal JnU unit Member Secretary Shamsul Arefin, Rakib Hasan of the Students Rights Council, and other student leaders extended their support. Earlier, the central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir, Zahidul Islam, had also pledged to stand beside the protesting students.
Earlier on Wednesday, at 11:45am, thousands of JnU students had started marching towards the chief adviser’s residence, Jamuna. Their procession was initially blocked at the Gulistan Golap Shah shrine gate.
Police later attempted to obstruct them again near Matshya Bhaban, but the students pushed forward.
As the demonstrators reached Kakrail Mosque crossing, police suddenly launched tear gas, sound grenades, and hot water cannons. More than a hundred people—including teachers, students, and journalists—were injured.
The three demands:
From the 2025–26 fiscal year, 70% of JnU students must receive a housing stipend until a permanent housing solution is ensured.
The proposed full budget for JnU for the 2025–26 fiscal year must be approved without any cuts.
The construction of JnU’s second campus must be approved at the next Ecnec meeting and implemented as a priority project.
