Students of Government College of Applied Human Science in Dhaka continued their protest for a 2nd consecutive day on Friday, demanding the resignation of the principal and a fair investigation into an alleged police attack on students.
The protesters blocked the road in front of the college from Friday morning, maintaining their 72-hour ultimatum over their 2-point demands. They said they would continue their sit-in until the demands were met.
The students initially gathered inside the college premises after 9am before moving to the road, taking into consideration candidates sitting for a scheduled government job examination. The blockade brought traffic on both sides of the road to a halt.
Protesting students said participation was relatively low on Friday as the campus was closed, but more students would join the movement when it reopened on Saturday.
Student protester Seema Akter said: “We remain firm on our 2 demands. Not just 72 hours, we will stay here until our demands are met. The number of students appears low today because the campus is closed. More students will join from tomorrow when the campus reopens. Those of us who are here will remain steadfast in our demands.”
The students' 2-point demands include the resignation of college principal Professor Meherunnesa. They have demanded that all classes and examinations remain suspended and that she be barred from entering the campus until she submits a written declaration of resignation.
Their second demand is a fair investigation into the alleged police operation at the college and its female students' residential hall at midnight, during which students claim they were beaten with batons. They have also demanded justice for the police personnel involved and an update on the investigation within 72 hours.
The latest protest follows demonstrations that began on Thursday, when students staged a sit-in outside the principal's office at around 10:30am and later confined her there.
Police went to the college at around 11:30pm and rescued the principal. The protesters alleged that police baton-charged students during the operation, leaving several injured.
Following the incident, students continued their demonstration on the road in front of the college late Thursday night. They later held a press conference, demanding the principal's resignation and justice over the alleged police assault, while setting a 72-hour deadline for the implementation of their demands.
Regarding reports of injuries during the police operation, Seema Akter said: “Three to 4 people are in hospital due to baton injuries. Many girls were hit with batons. Besides, some were dragged down by their hair, while others were pulled down by their hands. We have videos and photographs of these incidents. I was also at the scene and went live on Facebook.”
Meanwhile, Lalbagh police station Officer-in-Charge Jamil Hossain said some students had blocked the road in front of the college on Friday. He said police would not obstruct them as long as they continued their program peacefully.
Regarding Thursday night's incident, Jamil said police had faced resistance from students while trying to rescue the principal. However, he denied that police had used force during the operation.
Background of the protest
The dispute began over the cancellation of 2 residential hall seats and a Tk12,600 fine imposed on 2 students who organized a farewell program at the college auditorium before the Puja holidays.
According to students and college administration sources, postgraduate final-year students from 5 departments across 3 residential halls organized the program.
The event was initially scheduled to end by 10pm, but the deadline was extended until midnight following a request from students. However, the program continued until 5am.
Citing the use of the auditorium beyond the permitted time, principal Meherunnesa cancelled the residential hall seats of the 2 students who coordinated the event.
The students alleged that when they later approached the principal to apologize and seek reinstatement of their seats, they were asked to pay Tk12,600 to cover the auditorium's air-conditioning and electricity bills for one night.
The students subsequently launched their protest over the decision.
However, Professor Meherunnesa denied the students' allegations while speaking to journalists on Thursday. She said the students had been permitted to hold the program until midnight but continued it until 5am.
She said the residential hall seats of the 2 students had been cancelled for exceeding the permitted time. She added that she later became lenient after they apologized but decided to collect the electricity bill to maintain discipline.
