7 college students threaten to resume protests if demands are not met

Students from seven government colleges in Dhaka have warned that they will return to the streets if their five-point demand is not met promptly. They claim that although there was an announcement to unify these colleges into a new university, there has been no progress beyond proposing a name.

At a press conference held on Saturday (May 17) at Eden Mohila College, the students issued this warning.

The students presented the following five-point demand, A formal notification must be issued by May 18 to appoint an interim administrative body. After appointing this interim body, it must work to resolve the ongoing session backlog, address all academic matters, and create an academic calendar. Steps must be taken to resolve issues such as 'ghost results', excessive fees charged for various reasons, and other irregularities. Within two working days after the interim administration is formed, arrangements must be made to hold admission tests for the 2024–25 academic session. Within the next five working days, the government must publish the framework, logo, and monogram of the new 'Dhaka Central University'. Also, by June 16, a formal ordinance must be issued to establish the university, and a separate budget allocation must be made for it in the 2025–26 fiscal year.

The students warned that if the government fails to issue the notification appointing the interim administration by Sunday, they will be forced to resume street protests starting May 19.