Students demanding the transformation of Government Titumir College into a university have declared that they will continue their hunger strike until the official announcement is made.
On Friday at 7pm, the protesting students reaffirmed their commitment, saying that the strike would persist until their demand is met.
Earlier in the day, Jahangir Sani, a student of Titumir College, had conveyed the same stance to the media.
The students reported that on Thursday, a senior official from the Ministry of Education (holding the rank of joint secretary) had visited them and urged them to call off the hunger strike.
He assured them that the government would "consider" their demand.
However, the students have remained firm, declaring that they will not halt their protest and hunger strike unless a clear announcement is made.
The hunger strike began on Wednesday at 5pm with seven students participating. Among them, three have already fallen ill.
On Thursday, the protesters escalated their demonstration by taking to the streets in protest.
On Friday, additional students joined the hunger strike, raising the number of participants to around ten, according to Jahangir Sani.
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.
