The agitated students of Jagannath University (JnU) held a cultural programme on the campus yesterday as part of their ongoing movement to retrieve halls that have been grabbed by certain influential quarters.
On the tenth day of their ongoing protest, the students, teachers and staff of the university started the demonstration soon after the university gate opened at 9am.
The students brought out protest processions from almost all the departments, while the teachers formed a human chain in front of JnU Liberation War sculpture, expressing solidarity with the students’ demonstration. The teachers demanded that Deputy Commissioner of police (Lalbagh) Harun-or-Rashid and Kotowali police station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman be withdrawn. They also demanded that steps be taken against the police attack on students that left at least 200 students injured.
The teachers’ demonstration ended around 11:30am following a protest gathering. While addressing the gathering, the speakers vowed to go for tougher movement if their demands were not met.
Meanwhile, a group of students held a cultural programme on the campus around 12pm to inspire the agitated students. Some teachers were also present at the programme.
A separate section of agitated students blocked the Chittaranjan Avenue and Bahadur Shah Park intersection as part of their movement. Kotwali police station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman said huge traffic congestion was created in the area, adding that vehicular movement resumed after the students withdrew their blockade around 2pm.
The daylong demonstration ended following the declaration of today’s programme: a mass signature campaign on the campus.
Meanwhile, lawmaker Kazi Firoz Rashid and Bangladesh Chhatra League President Badiuzzaman Sohagh visited the JnU campus yesterday.
Sohagh expressed solidarity with the students’ demonstration and asked them to continue their demonstration until the demands were met. He also advised the students to remain alert about their academic activities.
Kazi Firoz assured the students of discussing the JnU problem in the parliament.