Students of 7 colleges protest for swift issuance of Dhaka Central University ordinance

Students from seven government colleges in Dhaka are staging protests demanding the immediate issuance of the ordinance for the newly proposed Dhaka Central University.

Since early Wednesday morning, around 180 to 200 students gathered at Dhaka College, one of the seven institutions included in the proposed university, to press their demand. At 11 AM, a protest march began from Dhaka College’s main gate, proceeding through Nilkhet and Eden Mohila College before returning to Dhaka College. The demonstration will conclude with a press conference at the college’s main gate.

Despite the government’s announcement and the University Grants Commission (UGC) initiating state activities under the name “Dhaka Central University,” the formal ordinance has yet to be issued, causing frustration among students.

Students criticized the existing affiliation system under which the seven colleges have been operating, calling it humiliating and discriminatory. They described the term “affiliated” as a symbol of identity loss and demanded full recognition under the new university structure.

“At a time when a new university has been announced, procrastination regarding the ordinance is unacceptable,” said Atikul Islam, a student of Dhaka College. “We want the ordinance issued quickly so that our academic identity can be fully established.”

Abdur Rahman, focal person of the Seven Colleges University Transition Team and a key organizer of the protests, emphasized, “We have long demanded an independent identity and reject any conspiracy by the education syndicate. The time has come to reap the rewards of our struggle.”

Rahman also urged the government to implement the ordinance promptly, stating that further delays would only burden students with uncertainty.

The students voiced concerns over the lengthy ordinance approval process, which involves multiple stages including drafting by the UGC, review by the Ministry of Law, revision, approval by the advisory council through the Ministry of Education, and finally, presidential assent before gazette publication. They fear delays, particularly at the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Education stages, could stall the process.

Although no bureaucratic hurdles are yet visible, the students warned that the slow administrative pace could postpone the ordinance’s implementation, prompting their current protests demanding timely action.

On March 26, the government announced the formation of Dhaka Central University, which will encompass the following seven government colleges: Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College, Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Mirpur Bangla College, and Government Titumir College.