Protests erupt at Jahangirnagar University after students, locals clash

Jahangirnagar University students, enraged by clashes with locals that left at least 30 of their peers injured, have broken locks of closed dormitories during demonstration.

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Shaheed Minar premises on the campus in Savar on Saturday morning and began breaking into the halls around 1pm. The demonstrators later left the halls and took position on the campus. 

They allege insecurity after the clashes with the residents of a village named Gerua, next to the university on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Before entering the halls, the students marched towards the residence of Vice-Chancellor Farzana Islam and staged a sit-in outside her home demanding that the authorities reopen the dormitories, now closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Motahar Hossain, president of the university’s Provost Committee, said the authorities were expecting instructions from the government in a meeting between the vice-chancellors of all the universities and Education Minister Dipu Moni in the evening.

The demands of the demonstrators include a fair trial of the incident at Gerua within seven days, payment of medical expense for the injured students by the administration, ensuring restoration of all facilities at the halls and withdrawal of Proctor ASM Firoz Ul Hasan’s comment on the incident.

They also demanded removal of Proctor Firoz and an apology from him for his remarks that the authorities will not take the responsibility for incidents outside the campus.

“We are feeling insecure for the incident at Gerua,” said Rakibul Haque Rony, a protesting student.

When asked about the demand for reopening of the dormitories, Proctor Firoz said the authorities cannot do it without a government decision.