Titumir students start 4th day of hunger strike demanding independent university status

Students from Dhaka’s Government Titumir College have started a fourth day of a hunger strike to demand the institution be given state recognition as an independent university.

If a declaration is not forthcoming by 4:00 pm on Saturday, students say they will launch a tough programme that includes a blockade in the Dhaka North City Corporation on Sunday, bdnews24.com reports.

Mehedi Hasan, a member of the protest organising group Titumir Oikyo, was on a hunger strike in front of the campus around 11:00 am on Saturday.

“We have set a deadline of 4:00 pm today,” he said. “If the university declaration is not made by 4:00 pm today, we will hold a Barasat blockade of Dhaka North from tomorrow.”

“That is why we have set a deadline of 4:00 pm. They must declare a university by then. If not, we will launch a strict movement tomorrow. If the students take any action after 4:00 pm, that will be their decision.”

The blockade will be eased from 8:00 am to 11:00 am so as not to cause suffering for devotees attending the Biswa Ijtema, he said.

“In the meantime, our hunger strike will continue.”

The student movement, conducted under the Titumir Oikyo banner, has seven key demands.

These include publishing an academic calendar with state recognition, the formation of a “university administration” to conduct admissions for the 2024-25 sessions, and immediate cover for the housing costs of all students or ensuring housing arrangements for all of them.

The students on a hunger strike are also demanding the addition of international-standard Law and Journalism subjects from the 2024-25 academic session, the appointment of qualified teachers with PhDs to conduct academic activities, limiting the number of seats to improve the quality of education, and ensuring land and financial allocations for building a research laboratory of international standards.

On Monday night, student protesters gave the authorities 48 hours to turn the college into a university and form an administrative structure following the transition. After the deadline passed, they announced new protests on Thursday.

That day the students had blocked the same stretch of road from noon until dawn, sparking severe traffic congestion in the surrounding areas. The disruptions created significant hardship for thousands of commuters.

Around 9:00 pm on Thursday, Md Nuruzzaman, joint secretary of the education ministry, engaged with the protesters gathered in front of Titumir College’s main gate.

Despite his assurances that their demands would be presented to senior government officials, the students remained resolute in their stance. Although they vacated the road early Friday morning, some continued their hunger strike.

Following Jummah prayers on Friday, the students took out a procession to Amtoli in Mohakhali, where they blocked the road once again. However, the impact on traffic was minimal, as it was a holiday, resulting in less disruption in the surrounding areas. They also announced plans to enforce a “Shut Down Titumir” programme by halting the college’s classes and exams from Tuesday morning until the state recognised the university.

After months of protests and sit-ins demanding an independent university, the students hoisted a banner reading "Titumir University" at the main gate of the educational institution on January 7.

Earlier, the education ministry formed a five-strong committee to examine the feasibility of transforming the college into a university on December 3, 2024.

However, the students allege that the committee was not functioning “properly”.