Students in Kaliakair, Gazipur, have blocked the Dhaka-Tangail railway line, demanding that the name of Digital University be changed to Bangladesh Digital University.
They argue that the current name does not adequately reflect the university’s national identity. More than a hundred students from the institution participated in the demonstration. The protest began at 9:00am on Monday at Kaliakair Hi-Tech Railway Station, causing a disruption in rail communication between Dhaka and northern regions.
Students, including Yunus Ali and Sajib, said that the name Gazipur Digital University does not clearly represent the university's status and identity. They seek official recognition under the name Bangladesh Digital University, which they believe will establish the institution at a national level in terms of academic and technological development.
The students have declared that they will continue their movement until their demand is met. According to the protesting students, the university’s Student Forum submitted a memorandum on February 20 to the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Information and Communication Technology Division, and the Gazipur District Administration, urging them to implement the Bangladesh Digital University name.
As part of their ongoing protest, students began their demonstration at 8:00am on Monday. They marched from the university’s administrative building to Kaliakair Hi-Tech Railway Station, where they occupied the railway tracks.
Hi-Tech Station’s ticket booking officer, Alam, said that students allowed the Sirajganj Express to depart around 10:50am upon requests from relatives of some sick passengers. However, the students continued to sit on the tracks, maintaining the blockade. As a result, the Burimari Express was halted at Mouchak Station, causing significant inconvenience to passengers.
Abul Khayer Chowdhury, the station master of Joydebpur Rail Junction in Gazipur, confirmed that the Dhaka-Tangail railway line remained blocked. While the students initially halted the Sirajganj Express at Hi-Tech Station, they later allowed it to proceed upon passengers’ requests. Since the morning, only one train, the Sirajganj Commuter, has been able to pass through this route, and rail operations remain suspended.
University Proctor Rakib Hossain said that an emergency meeting was convened on Saturday to discuss the name change issue.
On February 13, the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs issued a notification declaring the university’s name as Gazipur Digital University. Since then, students have been demanding that it be renamed Bangladesh Digital University and have been organizing human chains, protests, and other demonstrations over the past several days.
