A group of students started an indefinite period fast-unto-death strike at National University demanding immediate issuance of an admission circular for on-campus honours courses.
Under the banner of National University On-Campus Students, the students started the hunger strike at around 4:00pm and continued their strike till filing of this report at about 9:00pm.
After repeated directives from the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh on May 23, 2024 the Secondary and Higher Education Division under the education ministry gave a directive to the NU authorities for closing all enrolment activities of honours programmes on its main campus.
On Saturday morning, the students at a press conference at the university鈥檚 academic building demanded immediate issuance of the admission circular for the on-campus honours courses for the third batch.
They said that the university authorities started on-campus honours programme from 2022-2023 session and currently two batches were studying under the on-campus programmes.
For the past nine months, however, the authorities did not issue the admission circular of the third batch, they alleged.
At the press conference they gave the authorities time till 4:00pm on Saturday to meet their demand through negotiation.
After the ultimatum, 42 students under the ongoing on-campus courses started the hunger strike in front of the academic building from around 4:00pm as the authorities did not give them any written or verbal assurance.聽
One of the protesting students, Munem Shahriar said at around 7:00pm that around 20 students were observing the strike.
鈥榃e will continue our movement until our demand is met,鈥� he added.
NU pro-vice-chancellor professor Md Lutfor Rahaman said that the demand of the students for on-campus courses was rational and they wanted to continue this programme considering the future of the students.
But the programme should be continued not defying the law and if necessary the law should be amended, he continued.
鈥榃e have already written a letter to the education ministry and the UGC in this regard,鈥� he said, adding that they are waiting for the ministry鈥檚 decision.
The NU and the education ministry have been at loggerheads since 2023.
In July 2023, the university started its admission process to enrol the students for graduate programmes in LLB, BBA, tourism and hospitality management, and nutrition and food science departments.
Later in September 2023, the UGC directed the NU to suspend all activities on campus, including enrolment of the students on undergraduate programmes, stating that the process is a clear violation of the National University Act 1992.
At that time, the NU authorities replied to the commission that the decision on enrolling students for the undergraduate, and honours programme on its main campus in Gazipur was legal and appropriate and the order in 2023 came after the enrolment process had been completed.
On February 11, 2024 the UGC again directed the NU to suspend all enrolment activities on undergraduate programmes on its main campus for this year.
Currently, 2,257 colleges, both government and non-government, and Bangabandhu Muktijuddha Bangladesh Research Institute are affiliated with the university while the number of students studying in these educational institutions is about 35 lakh.
