Jahangirnagar University (JU) has revised its ward quota admission policy following a student hunger strike.
In response, university staff have announced an indefinite work stoppage starting Wednesday in protest.
On Sunday, 14 JU students began an indefinite hunger strike demanding the abolition of the ward quota. After 19 hours, they ended the protest on Monday morning following assurances from the vice-chancellor.
Later, at midnight, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan announced the changes.
The changes are:
- A total of 40 seats will be allocated.
- The quota will apply only to employees' children.
- An employee can use the quota benefit only once, regardless of the number of children.
- The passing mark is now 40% (32 marks).
- Employees cannot admit their children into the department where they work.
Arifuzzaman Ujjal, convener of the JU unit of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement said that the administration had previously committed to addressing assaults on protesting students by Wednesday. Additionally, the JU Central Students’ Union election schedule is set to be announced on Thursday, and admission tests will begin on Sunday. Given these developments, students accepted the quota reforms and ended their strike.
However, JU staff opposed the changes and staged a demonstration in front of the administrative building on Tuesday morning.
At 2:30pm, a statement signed by Mohammad Abdur Rahman Babul, president of the JU Officers-Employees Unity Council, and Mohammad Selim Mia, general secretary, announced an indefinite work stoppage from Wednesday.
The statement demanded the full reinstatement of the previous ward quota system. It also stated that while emergency services would initially be exempt from the strike, they might be included if necessary.
As tensions escalated, students resumed protests, demanding the complete abolition of the dependent quota.
As of the latest update at 3pm, students have blockaded the new administrative building, continuing their demonstration for full cancellation of the quota system.
