Titumir College students call for 'Barasat Barricade to North City' programme

Students of the Government Titumir College in the capital are continuing their fast-unto-death programme to realise their demand of converting the college into an independent university.

The hunger strike began at 5pm last Wednesday.

In the meantime, the students have called for an indefinite 'Barasat Barricade to North City' programme to press their 7-point demand.

Their demands include publishing the university's academic calendar with state recognition, forming a university administration to conduct admission activities for the 2024-25 academic year, ensuring 100 percent accommodation for students or immediately covering 100 pertcent of the students' accommodation expenses, and introducing law and journalism subjects from the 2024-25 academic year.

In this regard, Titumir students said at a press conference at 11:30pm on Friday that if their demands are not met by 4pm on Saturday, they will hold an indefinite 'Barasat Barricade to North City' programme. Rail and road blockade will be included in this programme. Considering the plight of Muslim devotees joining the Bishwa Ijtema, the barricades will be relaxed from 6am to 11am.

Before the announcement of this programme, the agitating students blocked the Gulshan-1 intersection around 9:30pm. Later, after blocking it for about an hour, the students again went to the college and blocked the road in front of the college around 10:30 pm. At one point, female students also came out of the hall supporting the programme.

Earlier, on Thursday night, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education Md Nuruzzaman came to the spot and spoke to the students.

However, the students say that he (the secretary) could not give any specific assurance. That is why the students are continuing the hunger strike.