Students of Government Titumir College have blocked the Gulshan-1 road in Dhaka, demanding that the institution be upgraded to a university.
The blockade began around 9:30pm on Friday, causing a halt in traffic on this key road.
Vehicles heading towards different destinations were seen stranded around the intersection.
The protesting students said their demand to transform Titumir College into a university had been longstanding, but the authorities had continued to delay the matter. They mentioned that several students had been on a hunger strike for two days without receiving any attention, and two had fallen seriously ill shortly before.
They further warned that the protest would continue until their demand was met.
Additionally, they vowed not to return home until their seven-point demands regarding the transformation of the college into a university were fulfilled.
The protesting students under the banner of "Titumir Oikya" have placed a seven-point demand.
They are calling for the official recognition of "Titumir University" along with the publication of its academic calendar.
They demand the formation of the university’s administration and the initiation of admissions for the 2024-25 academic session.
Additionally, they seek assurance of 100% student accommodation or full financial support for residential expenses.
The students also insist on the inclusion of at least two internationally recognized disciplines—"Law" and "Journalism"—starting from the 2024-25 academic year.
To maintain academic excellence, they demand the recruitment of qualified PhD-holding faculty members and a cap on student intake to ensure improved educational standards.
Lastly, they call for land and financial allocations to establish an international-standard research laboratory.