Students of Eden Mohila College staged a demonstration on Wednesday, demanding the institution remain exclusively for women and that no academic departments be abolished.
According to Lalbagh Police Station Officer-in-charge Mostafa Kamal, the students took to the streets around 11am, chanting slogans to press for their demands.
Teachers of the college also joined the protest, standing in front of the main gate with banners. They opposed the draft ordinance of Dhaka Central University, calling for the scrapping of its schooling and hybrid models.
They also demanded that the independent structure of Eden Mohilla College and six other colleges in Dhaka be maintained.
OC Mostafa said, “The students have staged a sit-in on the road with five specific demands. Efforts are underway to persuade them to disperse.”
Their other demands are Eden college academic hours should not be limited from 1pm to 7pm, it should remain a higher education institution; the introduction of intermediate-level courses should be avoided, and the college has potential to become a women’s university and should not be reduced to a single faculty.
Although the students temporarily cleared the road, they have resumed their sit-in, causing heavy traffic congestion on the busy Dhaka roads and inconveniencing commuters.
Amid the protest, the government has continued with plans to establish Dhaka Central University encompassing seven Dhaka colleges. However, students and teachers at both undergraduate and higher secondary levels are standing firm against the proposal.
The draft ordinance was released by the Ministry of Education on 24 September.
