Govt won't take any hasty decision regarding Titumir students' demands: Education adviser

Highlights:

• Education adviser says Titumir College students' 'unreasonable' 
• Demand to make the college into a university within a time limit 'illogical'
• Adviser urges students to be mindful of public inconvenience during protests

The government will not take any hasty decision regarding the Titumir College students' demand that their institution be declared a university, Education Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud said today (2 February).

Speaking to reporters after an ECNEC meeting this afternoon, he said, "The demand to make it a university within a time limit is not logical." 

Noting that colleges with richer heritage such as Khulna BL College, BM Collecge, MC College and Rajshahi College exist, the adviser said there is no scope to accept the "unreasonable demands" of the Titumir College students.

Titumir College students barricade road with bamboo on day 5 of hunger strike

"The seven colleges and Dhaka University no longer wish to remain affiliated. Therefore, an initiative is underway to establish a separate university for the seven colleges.

"A committee is currently working on this, but setting a fixed timeline for the implementation is not ideal at this moment," he added. 

"Many Titumir College students want to return to classes. They do not support causing public suffering," he also said.

He urged students to be mindful of public inconvenience during protests. 

Setting deadline for Titumir College's recognition as independent university illogical: Edu ministry

The adviser said there is no problem in demanding a university or waging a student movement. "But the students have to sit for the examination one day, if they do not concentrate on their studies and sit for examinations at this age, they will not be able to do anything in the future."

He also categorically expressed the government's firm stance that the interim government does not have the power to accept this type of demand. "We came here to ensure the transformation of a well governed democratic system in the country, as well as adopt some small reforms towards that," he said.

Students of Government Titumir College have been demonstrating on the road for the last few of days demanding that the college be turned into a university.