After three days of intense demonstrations, the Interim Government has accepted all three key demands raised by students of Jagannath University (JnU), marking a major success for the ongoing campus movement.
On Friday evening, University Grants Commi-ssion (UGC) Chairman Professor S. M. A. Faiz visited the protest site and formally announced the government's decision to meet the students' demands.
JnU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Rezaul Karim confirmed the development, stating that the university's budget will be increased, addressing the students' first demand. He added that temporary dormitories will be constructed promptly to tackle the acute housing crisis, while construction of a second campus is already underway.
Earlier in the day, the protest intensified in the capital's Kakrail area as hundreds gathered, transforming the movement into a mass hunger strike. Joined by alumni, the demonstration swelled in size, with university buses transporting teachers and students to the site from early morning.
Speeches delivered by current and former students highlighted years of state neglect and mounting frustration.
"This housing issue is a matter of basic rights. I've been jailed 13 times for participating in the hall movement. We are prepared to face any consequences, but we won't retreat," said Shahin Ahmed Khan, former president of the JnU unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Former student and advocate Md. Rony Mia criticised the state's response to a recent bottle-throwing incident involving Interim Government Information Adviser Mahfuz Alam. "A 15-gram plastic bottle was used as an excuse to unleash tear gas and police batons on unarmed students and teachers. This is a blatant overreaction," he said.
He also condemned the silence of top officials from the education, finance, and home ministries, none of whom had visited the protest site. "They must abandon their authoritarian attitude and acknowledge our legitimate demands."
Another alumnus, Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan, asserted that the movement enjoys full alumni support. "Some former student leaders now align with power. But the JnU community remains united. We will not leave the streets without a resolution."
Tensions rose when police detained a student, Ishtiaq Hossain from the 19th batch of the Economics Department, over the bottle-throwing incident. Protesters warned of strong backlash if any punitive action was taken without a fair investigation.
"Our junior Ishtiaq Hossain was taken by the Detective Branch. If he is harmed, we will surround the DB office," said Shamsul Arifin, General Secretary of the JnU unit of a student political organisation.
"If a plastic bottle invites tear gas, bullets, and bloodshed, that's a gross miscarriage of justice," added Anindya Roy, a student of Management Studies.
The original incident took place around 10:00 p.m. on May 14, when Adviser Mahfuz Alam was addressing students near a police barricade at Kakrail Mosque. A plastic bottle was thrown from the crowd, striking him on the head. He immediately left the scene. On Friday, police confirmed that Ishtiaq Hossain was detained for questioning and later released to his guardian.
In a symbolic protest mocking what they called an "overreaction," students staged a "bottle-throwing programme" on Friday afternoon. Over a hundred students participated, tossing empty plastic bottles into baskets labeled "Sanda Mahfuz."
"The bottle incident was unfortunate, and our teachers have already expressed regret," said Ismail Hossain, a master's student from the Law Department. "But instead of addressing our real demands, Mahfuz Alam is trying to shift focus. We reject this attempt to derail the movement."
The students' three-point demand, all of which were accepted, includes: 1. Immediate scholarships covering 70% of JnU students starting from FY 2025-26 as a temporary measure to ease the housing crisis.
2. Full approval of the university's proposed academic budget for FY 2025-26 without cuts.
3. Approval and prioritisation of the second campus project in the upcoming ECNEC (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) meeting.
As the hunger strike continues and participation grows, Kakrail remains the epicenter of the JnU student movement, symbolising a broader call for reform in public university governance.
