Titumir students end blockade after govt assures of taking steps to resolve issues within 7 days
A team led by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education Md Nuruzzaman went to the scene to talk to the protesting students earlier this evening
The government has assured the protesting students of Government Titumir College of taking steps towards resolving their issues within seven days.
Titumir's Principal Shipra Rani Mandal told reporters at the Mohakhali rail crossing that upon receiving the assurance, the students then lifted their blockade on the Mohakhali Rail Crossing today (3 February), five hours after severely disrupting rail communication with Dhaka.
A team led by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education Md Nuruzzaman went to the scene to talk to the protesting students earlier this evening.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
At that time, Titumir's Principal Shipra gave packaged mango juice to the students who were on hunger strike.
Junaed Jahedi, assistant commissioner of the Mohakhali traffic zone told The Business Standard that as of 9:50pm, the protesters withdrew their programme and started leaving the streets.
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) deployed four platoons at the protest scene to control the situation, a press statement from paramilitary forces said.
Earlier on the day, Titumir students blocked the Mohakhali-Gulshan road at around 12:20pm for the fifth consecutive day.
Last night, students declared they would block the Gulshan-Mohakhali road and railway lines in Mohakhali from 11am to 10pm today.
Both incoming and outgoing traffic remained in a gridlock as the students put bamboo on the road in front of their college.
About ten students have been on a hunger strike for the past five days in front of the college gate. Three of them were hospitalised, while others were continuing the strike with saline support, said Riad Hassan, a student of the Bangla department.
The protest began on 30 January, with students staging road blockades in front of their Mohakhali campus. On 31 January, they blocked roads again as part of their ongoing demonstrations.
The students' demands include formal recognition of Titumir University by the state and the publication of an academic calendar.
They also call for the formation of the university's administration and the commencement of admissions for the 2024-25 academic session.
Additionally, they demand accommodation for all students or financial assistance to cover their housing expenses.
They insist that from the 2024-25 academic year, two internationally recognised disciplines — Law and Journalism — must be introduced.
They are also calling for the appointment of qualified PhD-holding faculty members, a cap on student enrolment to maintain education quality, and financial and land allocations for an international-standard research laboratory.
