Education ministry finds ultimatum illogical
The students of Government Titumir College in Dhaka blocked the road in front of the college for the third consecutive day and continued their hunger strike for the fourth day on Saturday demanding the transformation of the college into an independent university.
The protesting students, in the evening, blocked the Guslshan-1 intersection for two hours until 9:00pm. As a result, the busy area witnessed huge traffic congestion.
They announced that they would continue their protests until their demand was fulfilled and said that they would resume the blockade programme from 11:00am today.
The education ministry in a statement on Saturday, however, said that there was no rationality for such a protest giving an ultimatum to the government for meeting the demand.
It urged the students not to take any programme causing public suffering or hampering the academic activities of general students.
It said that an expert committee led by the University Grants Commission chairman professor SMA Faiz was working to form a separate university merging the seven colleges, formerly affiliated with Dhaka University, in Dhaka.
The statement read that the issue of the Government Titumir College was under special consideration.
The committee has already started discussion with the representatives of the students of these seven colleges while the government鈥檚 main aim was to develop the academic facilities of these colleges, it said.
In the statement, the ministry called on all concerned to be patient.
The students of Titumir College, however, decided to continue their protests denouncing the ministry鈥檚 call.
Nur Mohammad, a student of Government Titumir College, told 抖阴精品 that their demand for an independent university was logical.
He said that they would continue their movement until fulfilling their demands.
Another protesting student, Mostain Billah Towaha, said that three students were hospitalised after their health condition deteriorated due to hunger strike since January 29 to press home their seven-point demand.
Towaha said that the blockade would be relaxed for Biswa Ijtema goers.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police鈥檚 Gulshan Division additional deputy commissioner Md Alamin Hossain said that the police diverted the vehicles to other roads due to the blockade to reduce public suffering.
Students began an indefinite hunger strike on January 29 and started blocking the college-adjacent road on January 30 under the banner of Titumir Oikya to press home seven-point demand, including the transformation of the college into an independent university, assuring residential facility for all students, limiting the seat for quality education and appointments of teachers with PhD degree.
