Students from seven government colleges in Dhaka are planning a “long march” to the Ministry of Education on Monday, demanding the swift issuance of the Dhaka Central University Ordinance, which is key to the establishment of their proposed new university.
The move comes as frustration grows among student leaders, who have expressed dissatisfaction over the continued delays in finalising the ordinance, despite multiple rounds of consultations with stakeholders.
The march will begin at 10am from the respective campuses of the students and converge near the education ministry on Abdul Gani Road on Monday.
“We are committed to marching from our campuses to the education ministry building,” said Abir Mahmud Robin, a student from Dhaka College and one of the movement’s organisers. “We expect students from nearby colleges to join in making the procession even larger.”
The colleges involved in the movement include Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College, Mirpur Government Bangla College, and Government Titumir College.
The initiative to form the new university was set in motion by the interim government, following the cancellation of these colleges’ affiliation with Dhaka University after student protests.
The Ministry of Education published a draft of the Dhaka Central University Act 2025 on September 24, outlining the academic and administrative framework for the proposed institution, and called for stakeholder feedback, which concluded on October 9.
Md Naim Howlader, a student representative, expressed concern in a statement to the media: “Although there has been some debate on the draft, our demand is now clear—the ordinance must be issued without further delay. We will not accept any more postponements.”
