Students and teachers of Jagannath University (JnU) staged an overnight sit-in in front of the Kakrail Mosque, demanding the fulfillment of three key demands, including the implementation of a housing scholarship for 70% of students starting from the next fiscal year.
The other two demands include full approval of the proposed 2025–26 fiscal year budget without any cuts and the prompt implementation of the university’s second campus project by securing its approval in the next Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting as a priority project.
On Thursday morning, the protest site presented a determined scene: some students were lying on the street, others sitting, chanting slogans, or reciting poems to maintain morale throughout the night. Over 500 general students, alongside members of student bodies such as JnU Chhatra Dal, Chhatra Shibir, Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, Chhatra Front, and the Anti-Discrimination platform, participated in the demonstration, reports Bangla Tribune.
“We’ve already endured beatings and are ready for more if necessary. But we won’t return to campus without securing our rights,” said one of the protesting students.
Shamsul Arefin, member secretary of JnU Chhatra Dal, said: “Now that we’re on the streets, we will see our demands resolved right here. Along with general students, all active student organizations, including Chhatra Dal, are part of this movement.”
Echoing the sentiment, JnU Chhatra Shibir President Asadul Islam said: “We are always uncompromising when it comes to protecting students' rights. The police have brutally attacked our fellow students — many are now hospitalized. We will not leave the streets until our demands are fulfilled.”
In a show of solidarity, university faculty members also joined the protest, spending the entire night on the street. Among them were Professor Dr Mosharraf Hossain, president of the JnU Teachers’ Association and the White Panel, and Professor Dr Manzur Morshed Bhuiyan, dean of the Faculty of Business Studies.
“My students are on the streets, so I’m here with them,” said Professor Mosharraf. “I cannot leave my children behind. The demands they are making are completely justified.”
The protest underscores the growing frustration among JnU students and faculty regarding the long-standing housing crisis, budget cuts, and stalled infrastructure expansion. Protesters have vowed to continue their movement until all three demands are met.