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Published : 21 Sep 2025, 02:17 AM
Thousands of female students at Rajshahi University have joined the ongoing protests demanding the abolition of the “dependent quota”, a policy that provides preferential treatment for faculty and staff’s children in university admissions.
After 10pm on Saturday, students began leaving their hostels and joined the protesters in Zubery Bhawan and the administration building.
By 11:30pm, several thousand students had marched out of their dorms to gather in front of the vice-chancellor’s residence, continuing the protest.
The protesters are voicing two main demands: the cancellation of the dependent quota and the immediate scheduling of the RUCSU elections on Sept 25.
Abu Hurayra, one of the protesters, said: “Our previous movement was aimed at ending discrimination, which we successfully achieved. However, after August, we face another form of discrimination in the form of the dependent quota. We have come together today to oppose this unjust policy. We will continue protesting until our demands are met.”
Another student, Rafia Islam Toma, added: “After the administration’s attack on some of our male counterparts today, we have no choice but to continue protesting until our demands are met.
“The dependent quota must be abolished immediately, and the RUCSU election must be held on time. If our demands are ignored, we will continue to protest.”
On Sept 17, a faction of faculty, staff, and employees warned of a full-day strike from Sept 21 unless the dependent quota was reinstated.
This prompted the university administration to approve the reintroduction of the quota for the 2024-25 Academic Session in a meeting on Thursday.
That evening, students gathered outside the VC’s residence to protest the decision, continuing their movement into the night.
Earlier on Saturday, a confrontation took place between protesting students and faculty at the Zubery Bhawan, resulting in several injuries.
Following this, students trapped key officials, including Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Main Uddin, Proctor Professor Mahbubor Rahman, and Registrar Iftikharul Alam Masud inside the building.
By 11:30pm, the protestors had moved from the Zubery Bhawan to the VC’s residence, and the trapped officials were seen leaving the building. However, Pro-VC Main was still seated in a room at the location.
PUNISH TEACHER ASSAULTERS: UTAB
The University Teachers Association of Bangladesh (UTAB) has condemned the assault of teachers and officials during the protests in a statement released on Saturday.
According to the statement, UTAB accused Salahuddin Ammar, a leader of the so-called “coordinator” camp under the banner of “general students”, of leading the assault on the university’s pro-VC.
The teachers’ body labelled the incident as “unlawful”, noting that physical abuse against faculty and staff cannot be justified under any circumstances.
“We believe that physically assaulting teachers, staff, and officials is an illegal act,” the statement said, demanding an immediate, impartial, and active investigation into the incident.
“This kind of incident is a serious threat to the peaceful and educational environment of the university. Everyone should be able to express their views or protest within the bounds of mutual respect and the law. Violence, confinement, or property damage should never be an acceptable method of protest,” the statement added.
UTAB has demanded that those responsible for the assault be held accountable and subjected to disciplinary action following a swift and transparent investigation.
