Students returning to halls but Jahangirnagar University undecided about reopening

Hundreds of students have returned to the eight halls of residence for male pupils of Jahangirnagar University after they broke into them during protests against clashes with locals in Savar.

But the university administration is in two minds over whether or not to reopen the halls since the government has not given any instructions.

Tabia Islam, a protesting student, said on Sunday the female students have not returned to the halls due to security reasons but they expect the authorities to reopen all the residential halls within 24 hours.

The students, enraged by clashes with locals of Gerua village next to the campus on Friday, broke into the closed dormitories during demonstration on Saturday.

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 halls.

A student at Biswakobi Rabindranath Tagore Hall said more than 50 of them spent Saturday night in the hall.

They had meals outside the campus while their seniors were trying to arrange food, he said and added they were asking others to join them.

The dining facility and canteen have not reopened amid the pandemic while classes are being held online with in-person academic activities suspended for nearly a year. 

Md Yunus, a guard of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, said around 50 students stayed in the hall on Saturday night and around 20 more came on Sunday.

The protesters at a press conference on Sunday afternoon demanded security of the students and full reopening of the campus and the halls.     

The authorities have started a case over the clashes as per their demand. Security Officer Jefrul Hasan Chowdhury filed the case at Ashulia Police Station accusing 250 unidentified people of attacking the students.

The university was closed along with all other educational institutions across the country in mid-March last year after the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.

The authorities also banned visitors, programmes and gatherings on the campus.

Most of the students returned home as the halls were closed, but many rented homes in Gerua, Ambagan, Islamnagar and other nearby villages.

INDECISION

Proctor ASM Firoz Ul Hasan said on Sunday the authorities spoke to the government high-ups on Saturday and were awaiting decisions.

“It’s true that the university is autonomous, but it cannot go against the state amid a pandemic,” he said.

Motaher Hossain, president of the Hall Provost Committee, said the university administration spoke to Education Minister Dipu Moni who said she would inform them about the government’s decisions later.

Professor Anu Muhammad of the Department of Economics thinks the administration’s indecision has led to the situation.

“Other universities drew up a roadmap to the reopening. Dhaka University said it will reopen partially and hold the exams. Some others are in the process to follow suit, but I haven’t seen anything planned by the Jahangirnagar University administration,” he said.

“Their indifference, indecision and tardiness have caused uncertainty among the students. The administration should have drawn up a roadmap."

It would have been better for thousands of students to stay at the halls instead of rented home in the nearby areas, Prof Muhammad added.