Students relocate blockade to front of Titumir College relaxing Dhaka North barricade

Protesting Students of Government Titumir College have paused their Barasat Barricade to Dhaka North and relocated to the front of the college to facilitate the observance of the Biswa Ijtema

The protesters took position in front of the college and blocked the road with bamboos around 12pm, bringing traffic to a standstill on both sides of the Mohakhali-Gulshan road on Sunday, reports bdnews24.com. 

Late on Friday, the students announced plans to blockade roads and railway lines across the Dhaka North City Corporation area starting Saturday afternoon if their demand for state recognition of an independent university was not met.

The students, who have been demonstrating by blocking roads in phases and going on an indefinite hunger strike, have named their latest movement “Barasat Barricade to Dhaka North”.

Saad Ul Hasan Sifat, a protester, said: “We are protesting demanding the transformation of college into a university. We apologise to the people, but hold the government responsible for this.”

“The government did not highlight the matter. We’ve been protesting for 28 years. The current movement has intensified, but the government is still not paying much attention. That’s why the people are suffering.”

He sought positive responses from the people, asking everyone to stop trolling the movement on social media.

The students are hoping that the government will pay “special attention” to meeting their demands.

Meanwhile, the three demonstrating students entered the fifth day of their hunger strike. Russel Ahmed, a doctor of the Government Employee Hospital, said their condition was critical.

“All three of them have been suffering from dehydration since the morning today. It’s not possible to provide them with medical care without taking them to a hospital.”

On Saturday, Mahmudur Rahman Muktar, a protesting student, said the Barasat Barricade to Dhaka North movement would continue until the college was elevated to a university.

Dhaka University has already separated itself from the seven colleges following student protest, stating that the university would not be overseeing the admission process in the 2024-25 academic session.

A committee led by the chairman of the University Grants Commission, or UGC, is working on laying down an organisational structure for the seven colleges.

The colleges are Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnessa Government Girls' College, Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College.