Students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) withdrew their blockade of the university’s administrative building on Sunday evening, following an assurance from the Vice-Chancellor regarding the arrest of a suspect accused of attempted rape and assault of a female student.
The locks on the administrative building were removed at approximately 6pm after Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan promised “visible progress” in apprehending the accused within a 72-hour ultimatum set by the protesters.
The demonstration began at 10am on Sunday when agitated students locked the main entrance of the building to protest the administration’s failure to arrest the suspect five days after the incident.
Adrita Roy, a student from the Department of Drama and Dramatics at JU, noted that over 100 hours had passed without an arrest, which she claimed raised serious questions about the role of the university authorities.
The blockade caused significant disruption, leaving university officials and employees stranded inside the building long after office hours.
Lamisha Zaman, a student from the history department, stated that while the suffering of the staff was “unwanted,” the situation could have been resolved much earlier had the administration entered into a dialogue in the morning.
The vice-chancellor arrived at the protest site at 4:40 pm and held talks with the demonstrators. Describing the movement as “justified,” Professor Kamrul Ahsan pointed to administrative constraints and manpower shortages as key challenges.
He also assured the students that the formal investigation committee would submit its report within seven days.
The protesters issued the 72-hour deadline specifically in light of the upcoming university holidays, which are scheduled to commence on 20 May. Their primary demand remains the immediate arrest of the accused as part of a broader six-point demand list.
Following the Vice-Chancellor’s assurance, they ended the blockade and reopened the administrative building in the evening.
