Students block Science Lab intersection for half hour

Students from Dhaka College and Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College blocked Dhaka’s Science Laboratory intersection for a half hour to demand the institutions maintain their autonomy and to protest attacks on demonstrators.

They marched to the intersection from their campuses around 11:00 am on Tuesday and blocked it. The protesters cleared the road at 11:30 am and returned to the campus, reports bdnews24.com.

Mahfuzul Haque, chief of New Market Police Station, said,  "Traffic came to a standstill when students of Dhaka College and Badrunnesa College blocked the Science Lab intersection around 11:30 am. Later, when we explained the situation, they left the road and returned to the campus at 11:30 am.

"They are demanding the preservation of the college’s identity."

The protesters claim that if seven government colleges in Dhaka are unified into Dhaka Central University, it will imperil traditional colleges. They fear that the higher secondary level of the colleges may be abolished and are demanding the government reverse its decision to form the university.

The process to form Dhaka Central University is already underway. The Secondary and Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education published a draft ordinance on Sept 24 proposing the academic and administrative structure of this university and sought opinions from stakeholders. Opinions were collected by email and in person until Oct 9.

On Sunday, the Education Ministry said that more than 6,000 opinions have already been received.

The ministry, which is currently compiling and analysing the opinions, says that the process will be completed quickly and a series of consultation meetings will be organised soon with teachers, students, academicians and representatives of civil society concerned with education.

Dhaka Central University will be formed by combining Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College, Mirpur Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College. Students who are in favour of the new university have been protesting for the swift formation of the institution.

Meanwhile, higher secondary students of Dhaka College held a procession and blocked the road for a few minutes in the Science Lab area on Sunday morning to demand the protection of the traditional identity of the educational institution. On Monday, they also held a procession to the Shaheed Minar and protested to push for the same demand.

The teachers belonging to the Bangladesh Civil Service general education cadre of the colleges are also against the formation of the proposed university as part of the schooling system.