JnU teachers, students to go on mass hunger strike after Friday prayers
Before the strike, they will hold a rally at 10am
Highlights:
- DMP bans rallies, demos in Kakrail and sorrounding areas
- Teachers of Jagannath University have announced a shutdown
- Over 1,000 protesters at Kakrail Mosque intersection now
- Number of protesters increasing braving rain
- JnU teachers, students arrive in 24 buses to join protest
- Former JnU students express solidarity, join blockade
- Blockade causes several traffic jams on roads in surrounding areas
- JnU students, teachers, employees pushing govt to meet three demands
- They started long march towards CA residence yesterday
- 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
Former and current students, along with teachers, officials, and staff of Jagannath University (JnU) are set to begin a mass hunger strike after Jumma prayers today (16 May).
Rais Uddin, general secretary of the university's teachers' association, made the announcement while talking to the media last night (15 May).
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Before the strike, they will hold a rally at 10am.
Rais Uddin said the ongoing sit-in programme will continue overnight.
He added that action will be taken against the student who was involved in throwing bottle on Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam.
However, he emphasised that no attempt should be made to arrest the student before those police officers responsible for attacking teachers and students are held accountable.
8:20pm
Protesting Jagannath University (JnU) students chanted slogans in support of their demands during their sit-in programme in front of Kakrail Mosque in the capital.
7:45pm
United People's Bangladesh convener Jonayed expresses solidarity with JnU protest
Ali Ahsan Jonayed, convener of the mass uprising platform United People's Bangladesh, expressed solidarity with the protesting students.
"Accept our just demands without delay. It is deeply shameful that students are still forced to protest for housing even after the July mass uprising," he said.
Jonayed urged the government to take immediate action to meet the demands, emphasising that their united movement aims to return home with a message of victory.
7:24pm
Jagannath University (JnU) students continue their sit-in programme in front of Kakrail Mosque. They were chanting slogans in support of their demands.
7:05pm
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Vice-President Kazi Zia Uddin Basit went to the protest venue in Kakrail this evening and urged the government to accept the students' demands.
6:55pm
When contacted, Officer-in-Charge (Ramna) Golam Faruk refused to comment on whether the police will take action against the protesters.
He suggested that TBS speaks to senior officers in this regard
Ramna Deduty Commissioner Masud Alam did not respond to repeated attempts by TBS in this regard over the phone.
6:20pm
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed a ban on all types of public gatherings, rallies, processions and demonstrations in and around the official residence of the Chief Adviser at Jamuna and key surrounding areas, effective from today until further notice.
Bite Sized: Why are JnU students protesting? Explained
The announcement comes as Jagannath University (JnU) students vow to continue their sit-in protest at the Kakrail Mosque Intersection in the capital, near the official residence of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
In a public notice issued today (15 May), the DMP stated that the decision had been made in the interest of maintaining public order. The restriction has been enforced under the authority of Section 29 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance (Ordinance No-III/76).
According to the notice, the prohibition applies to the areas surrounding the official residence of the chief adviser, the chief justice's residence, judges complex, main gate of Bangladesh Supreme Court, mazar gate, Jame Mosque gate, entrances of International Crimes Tribunal 1, 2 and entrance of Judicial Administration Training Institute.
The DMP also requested all not to disrupt traffic movement by blocking roads in the name of holding protests.
5pm
The Jagannath University (JnU) Teachers' Association announced a shutdown of the institution's educational activities until the government meets the three-point demand they and the students are pushing for.
The three-point demand of JnU students and teachers 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 now also demanding justice for the police action on their long march yesterday.
The association's General Secretary Prof Raisuddin announced the shutdown at the students' protest and blockade at the capital's Kakrail Mosque Intersection, near the official residence of Chief Adviser (CA) Muhammad Yunus, following a discussion this afternoon (15 May).
"We have come here for the rights of the JnU students, to realise the demands of the students. Police have indiscriminately attacked us, which is complete anarchy and injustice. We have not come here to speak against anyone," Raisuddin said.
"We will not return home until our demands are met. The shutdown at JnU will continue until our demands are met. No educational activities, including examinations, will take place at JnU till then," Samakal quoted him as saying while addressing the protest.
Stating that the outcome will not be satisfactory if any step is taken to remove them from the streets, the JnU professor added that no one will be able to attack any of the students in front of their eyes.
During the announcement, the students chanted various slogans, including "Want Residence, Not Discrimination", "No Budget Cut Will Be Allowed" and "We want justice for the attacks".
JnU students had previously submitted their three demands to the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday (13 May), but said they were not satisfied with the response. As a result, the long march for Wednesday was declared later.
As of 6:00pm, they are protesting by blocking the road in front of the Kakrail Mosque.
The road has been blocked from the intersection in front of Kakrail Church, through Kakrail Mosque intersection to Matsya Bhaban intersection. As a result, no vehicle is able to go from Kakrail intersection directly via Hair Road to Intercontinental towards Bangla Motor or through Matsya Bhaban intersection towards Shahbagh or Gulistan. However, ambulances are being allowed to pass.
Yesterday morning (14 May), the police stopped the long march of JnU teachers and students towards the CA's official residence, Jamuna, in front of the Kakrail Mosque.
As the situation worsened following heated altercations, police fired tear gas, lobbed sound grenades, and used water cannons to disperse the protesters.
The clash broke out at around 12:30pm. Protesters attempted to break through the police barricade, leading to a scuffle.
JnU students later claimed that at least 25 people were injured in the incident.
However, after the clash ended and the situation calmed down, the protesters did not fully clear the area. Some students slept on the street at the intersection during the night and resumed the protest in the morning.
More than 1,000 students were seen peacefully protesting at around 12:30pm today (15 May), braving rain amid a heavy presence of law enforcement officials.
The blockade in that area has led to severe traffic jams in the surrounding areas. Traffic from Kakrail to Matshya Bhaban came to a standstill since the morning as students placed university buses on the road, blocking traffic altogether.
The number of students increased gradually as more came from different areas of the city to join the protest. They were chanting slogans, such as "Kotha Bolo Jamuna, Khali Haat a Jabona" (speak out, Jamuna, we won't return empty-handed) and "Jei Haat Chhatra Mare, Sei Haat Bhenge Dao" (break the hands that beat the students).
Shadat Hossain Anu, a student of JnU's Social Work department, told The Business Standard that a total of 24 vehicles, including buses and microbuses, arrived with students, teachers, and staff from the university campus since morning.
Expressing solidarity, former students of the university are also joining the blockade. Many of them have reportedly arrived from different districts outside Dhaka.
Earlier in the morning, Professor Raisuddin told journalists that they have started the movement with three demands but have now expanded to four.
"Our primary demand now is justice by taking action against the police personnel who behaved like those of previous governments and attacked our students and teachers," he said.
Raisuddin mentioned that they have been demonstrating here since Wednesday, and the government has yet to take any initiative.
He noted that the demand they made was not about the information ministry. However, last night, the information adviser came there to convince the students, but one of his comments was so provocative that it led a student to throw a bottle at him.
In response, Raisuddin quickly said sorry on their behalf.
He further stated that JnU was neglected since the Awami League government came to power in 2009, as the university was established by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
A large number of law enforcement officials, including the police, army, and the Border Guard Battalion (BGB), are remaining vigilant in the area. Barricades have been placed to stop the protesters from moving towards the chief adviser's residence.
A visit to the scene this morning revealed a determined crowd of demonstrators occupying the road. Some were lying down, others were seated, while several small groups engaged in light-hearted conversations.
Just in front of the police barricade, five protesting students sat on two chairs, engaged in conversation. Among them was Raisul Islam, a student of the Psychology Department at Jagannath University. He stated, "We've been here since yesterday. We will continue our protest until our demands are met."
Regarding the incident involving a bottle being thrown at Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam, Raisul, said, "We don't see it as a major issue because he went to the government as our representative. Compared to the police attack on students yesterday, this is nothing."
Late last night, Mahfuj cancelled an address to protesters midway at Kakrail after a water bottle was thrown at him.
