JnU students set to begin hunger strike at Kakrail blockade as alumni join
Joining the students’ sit-in programme, Professor Rais Uddin, general secretary of Jagannath University Teachers’ Association, said that there is no way to backtrack until their demands are met
Highlights:
- UGC, JnU hold meeting to find solution to ongoing issues
- JnU students to go on hunger strike after Jumma prayers
- DMP bans rallies, demos in Kakrail and surrounding areas
- They started long march towards CA residence on Wednesday
- Police fired tear gas, lobbed sound grenades, used water cannons to disperse protesters
- Protesters now demanding justice for police action
- Some protesters stayed overnight, resumed protest this morning
The hunger strike programme called by JnU students scheduled to begin after Jumma prayers today (16 May) is yet to start, while ex-students of the university were seen joining the protest.
Visiting Kakrail Mosque intersection at 2:15pm, our correspondent found the students chanting various slogans in groups.
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Joining the students' sit-in programme, Professor Rais Uddin, general secretary of Jagannath University Teachers' Association, said that there is no way to backtrack until their demands are met.
"It is historically true that JnU is neglected, discriminated. All the students, teachers and staff are united regardless of their affiliations in the movement to end the discrimination. Our demands have to be met fully. We want everyone's support and participation."
"We will not move from here a bit. We will resist if the government which was established through our blood threatens us or tries to run steamroller on us. This movement will not be confined to Kakrail intersection only then, we don't know where it will go and we won't take any responsibility for that," Rais Uddin added.
"Every citizen of this country expects their rights to be preserved. My students have been waging a movement under the open sky for three consecutive days. No solution has come from the government yet. They could've solved the issue on the first day if they wanted," Rais Uddin further said.
While talking to reporters, Rais Uddin stated that the Kakrail intersection will turn into a centre for the implementation of peoples' demand if their demands remain unmet.
During the protest yesterday (15 May), JnU Teachers' Association announced a shutdown of the institution's educational activities until the government meets the demands.
The three demands include implementing housing allowance for 70% of JnU students starting from 2025-26 academic year, approving the proposed full budget for the same period without any cuts, and initiating the second campus project as a priority in the next Ecnec meeting.
They are also demanding justice for the police action on their long march on Wednesday (14 March).
Professor Nasir Ahmed, a teacher from JnU's English department, said, "The students have gathered here with reasonable demands. But we saw how police attacked our students, although another group was served cold water here. We urge the government to accept the students' demands."
Nasir added, "The students had gone to the secretariat a few months ago when the government had told them that JnU's budget will be increased. The government did not keep that promise either."
