Dhaka University (DU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Niaz Ahmed Khan has announced that all forms of open and covert student politics in the university’s residential halls will remain banned. He stated that the decision taken by the hall provosts on July 17, 2024, regarding the prohibition of student politics at the hall level will remain in effect, ensuring that student politics in the halls is controlled.
This announcement was made on Friday (August 8) midnight.
Additionally, in response to student protests, DU Proctor Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed reiterated the same announcement at 2:50 AM on Friday on behalf of the university administration.
Present at the time were Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Niaz Ahmed Khan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Dr. Sayma Haque Bidisha, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed, and others.
Proctor Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed declared, “As of today, all forms of covert and overt politics in Dhaka University’s halls are banned.”
Following this announcement from the university administration, students returned to their halls around 3:00 AM.
Earlier, the DU campus had become tense due to demands for a ban on all forms of student politics at both academic and hall levels. On Friday (August 8) around midnight, students from various halls participated in protests.
Subsequently, students held a protest march at the Raju Sculpture. Participants included students from Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, Mohsin Hall, Bijoy 71 Hall, AF Rahman Hall, and other halls. Female students from Rokeya Hall broke the gate’s lock to join the protest.
It is reported that discussions and criticisms began on social media immediately after the announcement of hall committees by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) on Friday morning. Although student politics has been officially banned in DU’s 18 halls since July 17 of the previous year, JCD announced convening committees for the halls. Female students from the five women’s halls began protesting from the afternoon, demanding the ban on student politics and the expulsion of those who received positions in JCD from the halls.
Despite an ultimatum until midnight, the hall administration did not formally announce a ban on student politics. As a result, around 1:00 AM, female students from Rokeya Hall broke the gate’s lock and joined the protest.
At that time, nearly 500 students from Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall, Kabi Jasimuddin Hall, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, Bijoy Ekattor Hall, Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall, and Masterda Surja Sen Hall gathered at the Raju Sculpture with a procession. After a 10-minute demonstration there, the students marched to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence at 1:20 AM and staged a sit-in.
During this time, students chanted slogans such as “One, two, three, four, leave the halls if you form committees,” “Action to action, direct action,” “Direct action