Jahangirnagar University bans all events after 10pm, orders tolerable noise levels

Cultural alliance leader Priyonti has suggested that the decision implies a perception of campus unity as a potential threat to authorities

Jahangirnagar University’s administration has prohibited all events on campus after 10pm.

The directive, issued via an urgent notice on Saturday night, cited a previous syndicate meeting decision, noting that the decision was taken in the interest of peace, order, and security.

The notice also mandated that noise levels during events remain “tolerable” and warned that violations would lead to measures under university rules and state law.

The decision has drawn criticism from many students and cultural activists. Faiza Mehjabin Priyonti, president of the Jahangirnagar Cultural Alliance, told bdnews24.com that the move echoes a past administration’s restrictions but is now enforced more strictly.

She described the policy as a manifestation of repressive thought, often arising from irrational existential anxieties within the administration.

Priyonti added that cultural programmes unite students, and questioned whether such unity is perceived as a “threat” by authorities who prefer students remain isolated within dormitory walls.

She argued that this approach stifles campus life and reduces scrutiny of administrative actions.

“Campus life teaches independence and joy; it allows students to truly live,” she said. “Such narrow-minded notices on this campus are deeply worrying.”

The notice recalls a previous directive from Oct 9, 2023, which restricted alumni events to once every three years and banned batch reunions. That order also threatened to cut electricity and blacklist organisers if events occurred after 10pm.

Adrri Ankur, president of the student union, called the reinstatement of these restrictions “purpose-driven” and said the administration, claiming continuity from past syndicate decisions, positions itself as a product of the July Uprising era.

He accused the administration of providing shelter to teachers who supported attacks during the July movement, framing the reissued notice as a betrayal of the Uprising’s martyrs.