Students of seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University issued a 24-hour ultimatum on Saturday, demanding the immediate formation of an interim administrative body and threatening to escalate their protests if a gazette notification is not issued by Sunday.
At an emergency press conference held in front of Eden Mohila College at around 4pm, student representatives Tanzimul Abid and Zafrin Akhtar outlined five key demands on behalf of the general student body.
They accused the authorities of stalling the transition to the proposed Dhaka Central University and said delays are forcing them off campus and onto the streets.
“If the gazette is not issued by tomorrow, we will launch stricter protests from Monday, including a besieging of the ministry,” warned Zafrin.
She added that further protest plans would be shared through press releases and vowed not to return to campus without the ordinance for the new university.
The students warned that failure to act would prompt them to resume street protests.
Their demands include the gazette for an interim administration, publication of an academic calendar to address session delays, a halt to extra fee collection, arrangements for the 2024–25 admission test within two working days of forming the interim body, and the release of the proposed university’s outline and logo within five working days.
The protesters have also been calling for the ordinance to be issued by June 16 and the inclusion of budget allocations for the university in the 2025–26 national budget.