The students of formerly Dhaka University-affiliated seven colleges on Saturday demanded the formation of an interim administration by today to run their institutions.
They made the demand as they feared delays in establishing a new university for the colleges.
Addressing a press conference on Eden Mahila College campus, representatives of the colleges threatened to launch a tough movement from Monday in case of the government’s failure to publish a gazette notification on the formation of an interim administration by today.
Dhaka College student Abid Hasan, reading out a written statement at the press conference, raised their five-point demands for ensuring smooth academic activities in the colleges.
The demands also include the publication of an academic calendar for resolving the session jam issue immediately after the appointment of the interim administrator and taking initiatives to hold admission test for the 2024-25 academic session within the next two working days of the formation of the interim administration.
Their two other demands are the publication of the action plans and logo or monogram of the proposed Dhaka Central University within five working days, and issuance of the ordinance of the new university by June 16 and allocating funds for the new university in the budget for 2025-26 financial year.
Abid mentioned that students would not hold road blockade programmes considering people’s sufferings but would besiege the ministries concerned to press home their demands.
‘If we have to take to the streets again, this time we will return to the campus with the new university ordinance,’ said Abid.
Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College student Jafrin Akter claimed that the University Grants Commission proposed the formation of an interim administration on February 25 but the public administration ministry was yet to approve it.
The seven colleges still have to depend on DU for different kinds of academic activities and decisions although the affiliation was officially cancelled in a DU syndicate meeting on April 24, said Jafrin.
Dhaka College, Eden Mahila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College, Mirpur Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College were under National University and the government-affiliated the seven colleges with Dhaka University on February 17, 2017 following an order of the then prime minister.
After the affiliation, crises were seen on a regular basis as students of the seven colleges alleged that the DU authorities failed to run them properly.
Amid students’ protest, the affiliation was cancelled on April 24, 2025 while the education ministry on December 29, 2024 formed an expert committee to form an outline for an independent institutional structure equivalent to a university.
