Students Lift Administrative Building Protest Following University Promises

Students at Jagannath University (JU) ended a prolonged blockade of the university’s administrative building late on Monday night after more than 15 hours of protest, following assurances from the administration that their demands would be addressed. The protest was staged by students under the As-Sunnah Foundation’s ‘Meritorious Project’, seeking reforms to the university’s housing scholarship policies.

The demonstration began at 9:00 a.m. Monday and involved the blockade of the administrative building, trapping several senior officials inside for nearly eight hours. Among those confined were Vice-Chancellor Professor Rezaul Karim, Treasurer Professor Sabina Sharmin, Proctor Professor Tajammul Haque, and other key officials. The situation escalated around 4:00 p.m. when the Vice-Chancellor entered the building to attend a recruitment board meeting and was briefly blocked by the protesting students.

During the protest, a student from the Bengali Department, Mostakim Ahmed (2024–25 batch), fell ill due to prolonged hunger and shouting slogans. He was subsequently admitted to the university medical centre for treatment.

The students have been staging various demonstrations since last Wednesday, demanding that meritorious project students under the As-Sunnah Foundation be included in the general housing scholarship policy. They also called for the scholarship to be awarded on a need-based rather than merit-based system and sought the removal of the 70% attendance and CGPA-related conditions currently imposed.

Speaking on the matter, Siddiq Imroz, a law student from the 2023–24 batch, said: “We first staged a blockade of the Vice-Chancellor’s office last Wednesday, but the administration did not meet our demands. On Thursday, we held a press conference and issued an ultimatum, yet no action was taken. Today’s action was a continuation of that struggle.”

Finally, at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, the students lifted the blockade after receiving a written notification signed by JU’s acting Registrar Professor M. Sheikh Gias Uddin, promising to integrate the As-Sunnah Foundation’s meritorious project students into the scholarship policy within 21 working days and provide a rational solution.

Jagannath University Blockade at a Glance

The peaceful resolution of the 15-hour blockade reflects the students’ persistence and the administration’s willingness to engage in dialogue to address legitimate demands, setting a precedent for future student-administration negotiations at the university.