The Teachers’ Association of Jagannath University has announced a complete shutdown of all academic activities in solidarity with the ongoing student protests, which have entered their second day in Kakrail of the capital.
The shutdown will remain in effect until the students’ four-point demands are met.
The declaration was made on Thursday by Professor Rais Uddin, general secretary of the Jagannath University Teachers’ Association, during a large demonstration near the Kakrail Mosque.
The protest follows a violent police crackdown on a long march organised by students and teachers the previous day.
“We are here to stand for the rights of Jagannath University,” said Rais Uddin. “We are not here to oppose anyone or conspire. We are here to demand justice. Police have carried out an unprovoked and unjust attack on us. This is complete anarchy. We will not return home until our demands are met. The university shutdown will continue — no classes or examinations will be held.”
He also issued a stern warning against any attempt to remove the demonstrators by force. “If anyone tries to displace us, there will be consequences. No one will be allowed to lay a hand on my students while I am here.”
The current wave of protest was triggered by a police assault on a peaceful long march held on Wednesday. At around 11:00am, students and teachers began marching from Jagannath University towards the residence of the university’s chief adviser to press their demands.
As the procession reached the Kakrail Mosque area at approximately 12:40pm, police allegedly fired tear gas, sound grenades, and sprayed hot water to disperse the crowd.
Following this, baton charges were also reported. More than 100 people — including students, teachers, and journalists — sustained injuries.
Later that evening, Information and Broadcasting adviser Mahfuz Alam attempted to address the demonstrators but was met with frustration and chants of “fraud” from the crowd. Amid rising tension, a protester hurled a bottle at him, prompting him to abruptly end his briefing and leave the scene.
This incident only strengthened the students’ resolve to continue their sit-in, which has now lasted for over 24 hours. Many students spent the night on the streets and resumed their demonstration early Thursday morning, despite exhaustion.
The student movement is centred around four major demands: the introduction of a housing scholarship for 70% of students starting from the 2025–26 fiscal year to address the ongoing accommodation crisis; and approval of the university’s full proposed budget without cuts, which many fear could limit educational and welfare programmes.
The other demands are immediate approval and implementation of the second campus project through ECNEC (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council); and a transparent investigation into the 14 May police assault, with exemplary punishment for those responsible.
The students, chanting slogans such as “We want housing, not deprivation”, “No to budget cuts”, and “Justice for police assault”, show no signs of backing down.
Jagannath University, one of Bangladesh’s oldest public institutions, has faced persistent challenges related to budget constraints, inadequate student housing, and lack of campus expansion.
Unlike many other public universities in the country, JnU does not provide residential halls for the majority of its students, many of whom come from low-income families and struggle to find affordable accommodation in Dhaka.
Recent cuts to the proposed fiscal budget and delays in the second campus project have reignited longstanding frustration, prompting unified action by students and faculty. The violent police response has now escalated what began as a peaceful demonstration into a full-scale institutional shutdown.
As of the latest reports, students continue to occupy the area in front of Kakrail Mosque, supported by faculty members and drawing increasing attention from civil society and the media.