A group of students of Dhaka University have put academic and administrative buildings under lock and key for the third consecutive day, demanding an end to the university's affiliation with seven colleges.
The students of Dhaka University (DU) boycotted classes and exams and locked the main entrances of Registrar, Arts, Curzon Hall, Mokarram Bhaban, Law Faculty and Business Faculty, Institute of Modern Languages, Institute of Education and Research, and Social Science buildings around 8am on Tuesday.
“Our message is clear -- we will not return to classes until university administration gives us a written assurance to cancel the affiliation of the colleges," Shakil Mia, who is one of the leaders of the demonstrations, said.
He also said the protest will continue until their demands are met, reports UNB.
When contacted, University Proctor Prof AKM Golam Rabbani said: “We requested the students to return to classes and sit with the university administration to resolve any problems. But they rejected our proposal.”
The affiliated colleges are Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women's College, Mirpur Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College.
Meanwhile, Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) on Monday expressed its solidarity with the students’ demand and called upon the protesting students to go back to classes, saying it will take effective measures after discussions with administration and Education Ministry after Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman returns from China.
A group of Dhaka University students have been demonstrating on campus since July 16, demanding the decision of affiliating seven colleges under the institution to be annulled.
Some of their other demands are: publishing all the academic result within two months; automating certain administrative, and academic activities; controlling external vehicles, and fixing rickshaw rent inside the university.