Titumir students enter the fourth day of their hunger strike, demanding independent university status

Students of Dhaka’s Government Titumir College have entered the fourth day of their hunger strike, demanding state recognition for the institution as an independent university.

If their demand is not met by 4:00 pm on Saturday, they plan to escalate their movement with a blockade in Dhaka North City Corporation on Sunday, according to bdnews24.com.

Mehedi Hasan, a member of the protest group Titumir Oikyo, was on hunger strike in front of the campus around 11:00 am on Saturday.

“We have set a deadline of 4:00 pm today,” he said. “If the university declaration is not made by then, we will enforce a Barasat blockade in Dhaka North from tomorrow.”

He emphasized that if no announcement is made within the deadline, they will intensify their movement. However, the blockade will be relaxed between 8:00 am and 11:00 am to avoid disruptions for devotees attending Biswa Ijtema. Meanwhile, the hunger strike will continue.

Under the Titumir Oikyo banner, students have outlined seven key demands. These include:

• Official recognition of an academic calendar
• Formation of a university administration to oversee 2024-25 admissions
• Immediate housing support for students
• Inclusion of internationally recognized Law and Journalism programs from the 2024-25 academic session
• Appointment of PhD-qualified faculty members
• Capping student intake to enhance education quality
• Allocation of land and funds for a world-class research laboratory

The protests have been ongoing for months. On Monday night, students set a 48-hour deadline for the government to convert the college into a university and establish an administrative framework for the transition. When the deadline expired, they announced fresh demonstrations on Thursday.

That day, students blocked a key road from noon until dawn, causing severe traffic congestion and difficulties for commuters. Around 9:00 pm, Md Nuruzzaman, joint secretary of the education ministry, met the protesters at the college’s main gate and assured them that their demands would be relayed to senior officials. However, the students remained steadfast, with some continuing their hunger strike.

On Friday, after Jummah prayers, protesters marched to Amtoli in Mohakhali and blocked the road again. Since it was a holiday, traffic disruption was minimal. They later declared a Shut Down Titumir programme, vowing to suspend all classes and exams from Tuesday until the college is granted university status.

The movement gained momentum on January 7 when students hoisted a Titumir University banner at the institution’s main gate.

Meanwhile, the education ministry had formed a five-member committee on December 3, 2024, to assess the feasibility of upgrading the college to a university. However, students claim the committee has not been functioning effectively.