The campus of Eden Mohila College in Dhaka was the site of significant unrest during the late hours of Saturday night and early Sunday morning. At approximately 11:00 pm on 9 May 2026, a large contingent of students initiated a spontaneous demonstration, demanding a complete prohibition of political activities within the institution. The protest resulted in the destruction of physical barriers and the burning of political iconography at the college’s primary entrance.
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Origins of the Midnight Demonstration
The immediate catalyst for the unrest appears to be an incident that occurred earlier on Saturday evening. Reports indicate that a sign located at the college gate, which bore the phrase “Politics-Free Campus”, was deliberately obscured or removed using paint. This act of vandalism was interpreted by the student body as an attempt to reassert partisan political influence over the academic environment, triggering a rapid mobilisation of residents from the campus dormitories.
In response, students from the main college buildings and the Proposed Hazrat Rabeya Basri Student Hostel converged at the institution’s entrance. The atmosphere escalated as protesters expressed their frustration with the persistent presence of political factions within the college. The students were observed breaking the locks on the main gates and attempting to dismantle several other entry points to gain access to the streets for a broader demonstration.
Key Demands and Actions of Protesters
The central demand of the demonstrating students is the establishment of a permanent ban on all forms of student and partisan politics within Eden Mohila College. During the protest, several key actions were documented:
Destruction of Materials: Protesters gathered various banners, posters, and festoons associated with political organisations and set them on fire at the college gate.
Chanting of Slogans: The students collectively voiced their opposition to political interference, advocating for an environment focused solely on academic pursuits and student welfare.
Breaching of Perimeters: The physical act of breaking the gate locks was described by participants as a symbolic rejection of the “closed-door” influence often attributed to political cadres on campus.
The demonstration highlighted a long-standing grievance regarding the “political culture” at the college. For years, Eden Mohila College has been at the centre of national discussions regarding the influence of student wings of major political parties, which students claim often leads to harassment, seat-trading in hostels, and a compromised educational atmosphere.
Security and Institutional Response
As the unrest intensified, local law enforcement and college administrative staff were alerted to the situation. Police personnel arrived at the scene to monitor the demonstration and prevent the violence from spreading into the surrounding streets. While the students remained highly vocal and engaged in the burning of materials, there were no immediate reports of physical injuries or direct clashes with security forces during the initial hours of the midnight vigil.
The college administration has yet to issue a formal directive regarding the demand for a politics-free campus. However, the scale of the midnight protest has placed significant pressure on the authorities to address the governance of the hostels and the presence of non-student political influencers.
Context of Campus Politics in Bangladesh
This latest movement at Eden Mohila College mirrors a growing trend across several major educational institutions in Bangladesh, where students have increasingly sought to decouple academic life from partisan politics. Following several high-profile incidents of campus violence and administrative malpractice linked to political groups in recent years, the “politics-free campus” movement has gained substantial momentum.
As of Sunday, 10 May, the situation remains tense. The students have indicated that they will continue their advocacy until they receive a formal guarantee that political activities will no longer be permitted within the college premises. The removal of the “Politics-Free Campus” sign remains a point of contention, with students demanding to know the identity of those responsible for the act and calling for the sign’s immediate reinstatement