Students of 7 colleges protest to demand scrapping of Dhaka University affiliation, independent university

Students from seven public colleges have taken to the streets and are holding demonstrations to demand the scrapping of their institutions’ affiliation with Dhaka University and for them to become independent.

The protest brought traffic to a halt at the Nilkhet and Science Laboratory intersections around 11am on Monday and led to congestion on nearby roads.

Rupa Banik, a student of the Department of Political Science at Eden College and a protester at the demonstration, said: “We want to be freed from the affiliation with Dhaka University. If necessary, an independent university can be formed with the seven colleges. The UGC and other stakeholders must make a decision at an emergency meeting. We don’t want to remain stuck in session jams. We want to complete our four-year courses in four years.”

Students began to gather in front of the Dhaka College main gate around 10am. Then other groups began to gather at the Nilkhet and Science Laboratory intersections.

Zinia Ahsan, a second-year student at Eden College’s Department of English, said: “We have gone to the Dhaka University Administrative Building several times and been harassed. We don’t want to go there any more. We want to be liberated from Dhaka University. We want an independent university. We don’t want to be under another institution.”

Students from Dhaka College, Kabi Nazrul College, and Bangla College – all affiliated with Dhaka University – held protests calling for the same demand around midnight on Sunday. They held separate marches around 1pm.

Around midnight, a group of students gathered at the North Hall on campus. More joined them as the night wore on. They then marched from the campus to Nikhet and then took up positions in front of Eden College. The protesters then proceeded to the Palashi Residential Area through the Azimpur Bus Stand area.

They resumed their demonstrations again in the morning.

Mahmudul Hasan, a second-year student at Dhaka College, said:

“In 2017, we became affiliated with Dhaka University. The DU administration is only involved with the examinations and results. There has been no change in the quality of education. Because the results are published late, we have to suffer various deprivations including session jams. We want freedom from DU and an independent university.”

Mehdi Hasan Rimon, a second-year student of the Department of Philosophy at Dhaka College, had a similar perspective.

He said, “We want the seven colleges to be freed from DU affiliation very soon. We want to complete our four-year course in four years. We want a solution soon through the formation of a commission. We will not leave the streets until the government finds a solution.”