Describing all the demands of Jagannath University (JnU), including handing over the work of the second campus to the army, as reasonable, Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology Adviser Md. Nahid Islam has assured to fulfill all the demands within three days.
He said this to the students protesting in front of the Secretariat on Monday (November 11) afternoon.
Md. Nahid Islam said, we have not forgotten the contribution of Jagannath University in the movement. Our only difficulty is that we still have to take to the streets to fulfill the students' demands. I promise you that all your demands will be accepted within the next three working days.
At this time, when the students refused within three working days, Nahid said, the hall problem cannot be solved in one more day. We are looking into your demands. And I am looking into the issue of handing over the work of the second campus to the army today.
Earlier, students blocked the intersection in front of the Ministry of Education demanding three points, including handing over the work of the second campus of Jagannath University (JnU) to the army and inclusion in the UGC pilot project.
The movement's spokesperson, university student Tausib Mahmud Sohan, said, "We will give the Ministry of Education a three-day ultimatum regarding our demands. We will give priority to Jagannath University in the pilot project and submit it in writing within today."
Iqbal Hossain Sikder, president of the university's branch Chhatra Shibir, said, "Jagannath University is the most neglected university in the country. As university students, JnU students do not get the facilities and amenities they need. When compared with the budgets of other universities, it is seen that JnU is the penultimate, followed by the National University. We will not accept this discrimination. Although the work on our second campus started in 2018, not much work has been done so far. We need to complete the work on our second campus quickly."
Regarding the UGC pilot project, he said, "The work on the pilot project has not started yet." However, if it starts, it must start with Jagannath University.
Meanwhile, the road blockade has caused severe traffic jams at five points of entry to different parts of Dhaka city.
The students' three demands are that the corrupt project director appointed during the dictatorship be brought under the law and a skilled army officer be appointed as the project director within 7 days, the Ministry of Education should announce that the work of the 2nd campus has been handed over to the army and a clear outline should be given about the process of handover (on a priority basis), immediate measures should be taken to acquire the remaining 11 acres of land, and all illegal agreements made during the dictatorship regarding the old campus should be canceled.