18 Rabindra University students fall ill amid hunger strike

At least 18 students of Rabindra University fell ill while staging a hunger strike demanding the approval of the Development Project Proposal (DPP) for the university’s permanent campus at the upcoming Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting.

The protest began at around 11:00 am on Saturday, according to Md Shah Ali, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Rabindra University. Despite repeated requests from university authorities to call off the strike, the students remained steadfast, leading to many falling sick overnight.

Md Raihan, a sociology department student, became critically ill and was rushed to hospital late last night. He has since returned to the campus and resumed the hunger strike. The university medical team is providing necessary support to the affected students.

Speaking to the media, the protesting students emphasized that they would continue their strike until the DPP is formally approved by ECNEC. Sources confirmed that a Tk 519 crore project proposal for Rabindra University’s permanent campus is listed on the agenda for today’s ECNEC meeting.

This demonstration is part of a broader protest campaign that has lasted more than three weeks. Earlier, on July 26, students boycotted the university’s founding anniversary event to press for approval and implementation of the DPP.