BANGLADESH

The students of Jagannath University (JnU) have taken to the streets for a second day to scrap a funding rule that the institution should generate its own income to run its activities, not with money from the government.

On Monday, they blocked the Raisa Bazar-Naya Bazar road, creating a severe traffic snarl-up in the busy old part of the city. They vowed to continue their protests until their demands were met.

Traffic movement collapsed on the Dhoalikhal connecting road and Dhaka-Dohar route because of the morning blockade.
Some 1500 students started their protests at 8:45 am on Monday amid police cordon.

Despite assurance from education minister Nurul Islam Nahid that the funding disputes would be resolved through discussion with the concerned authorities, the students chose to continue their protests on Monday.

Jagannath University's proctor Dr Ashok Kumar Saha said on Monday they were trying to make the students understand the situation so that they return to the campus.

The angry students began their protests on Sunday after they came to know about the funding rule from a newspaper report.

Ashok Kumar Saha has said that Article 27 (4) of the Jagannath University Act- 2005 stipulates that the university authority will have to earn the costs of running the university themselves.

The students have claimed that their semester fees will increase from Tk 3,500 to Tk 20,000 to raise the revenue of the university from its own sources.

Demands of the students also include recovery of University dormitories, setting up library, and increasing transport facilities.

The historic Jagannath College was turned into a university in 2005.

Even though it is a public university, it along with it 24,000 students are suffering from the lack of teachers and funds.

On Sunday, police had to charge with batons to disperse the students who took position on the street near the High Court.
They also smashed several vehicles during their hours of protests on Sunday.