A Dhaka Court has granted bail to all the 17 students of Jagannath University, arrested on Friday from a rally in the city protesting against a government provision that the university fund itself.
Chief metropolitan magistrate Mohammad Mostafa Shahriar passed the order on Saturday when officer in charge of the Shahbagh Police Station Rezaul Islam produced them in the court.
Police had arrested 29 people on Friday under Section 78 of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance for creating ruckus on the road and foiled their rally at Shahbagh. However, 12 passers-were released in the night.
General registration officer of the court Sheikh Farid told that each of accused would have been fined Tk 200 and set free if they had admitted their guilt. "As they didn't admit their guilt, they will have to fight the case."
The university authority in a press statement on Saturday requested all its students and their guardians to uphold the image of the university and restore congenial academic atmosphere on the campus.
The JnU authorities on Wednesday advanced Durga Puja vacations in the face of rowdy student protests.
On Thursday, the students declared new protest programmes at a press briefing. Their programmes include human chain in front of National Press Club on Oct 2 and a solidarity rally at Shaheed Minar on Oct 8.
Also, the students would continue to boycott classes and examinations after the university reopens on Oct 8.
Angry students began their protests at 11am on last Sunday in front of National Press Club after they came to know of the funding provision from a newspaper report.
Police charged batons to disperse them, and the students in retaliation smashed several vehicles. With support from the teachers, the students have long been demanding that the provision be scrapped.
According to the Article 27 (4) of the Jagannath University Act- 2005, the university has to fund its operations on its own. The Jagannath College, founded in 1884, was upgraded into a university in 2005.
The protests were paused on Monday following assurance from the ruling Awami League that the matter would be resolved after discussions with the government.
Students say the university increased their semester fees from Tk 3,500 to Tk 20,000 to raise revenue.
Their other demands include recovery of university dormitories, setting up of a library and better transport facilities.
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Violence-ridden Jagannath University was ordered closed from Thursday until Oct 6 in a decision advancing Durga Puja holidays, the vice-chancellor announced on Wednesday.
The authorities simply brought forward the five-day Puja holidays to halt the four-day-old violent protests by students in the Old Dhaka campus of the university.
Mesbahuddin Ahmed, the vice chancellor, made the announcement at a press briefing after a meeting with department heads.
Earlier, a meeting between the authorities and the students protesting fees hike failed to produce results.
The protests entered the fourth day on Wednesday amid boycott of classes as the students marched every now and then through the campus and demonstrated demanding that authorities repeal a provision that the university should generate its own income to run its activities.
The students began their protests on Sunday, triggering clashes with police.
According to the Article 27 (4) of the Jagannath University Act- 2005, the university will have to fund its operations on its own. Jagannath College, founded in 1884, was amended to a university in 2005.
The protest was halted on Monday for the time being following assurance from the ruling party that the matter would be resolved after discussions with the government.
However, the agitation resumed on Tuesday with the students locking the university vice-chancellor's office and the administrative building, and setting fire to the finance minister's effigy.
The students say the university increased their semester fees from Tk 3,500 to Tk 20,000 to raise its internal revenue. Their other demands include recovery of university dormitories, setting up of a library and increasing transport facilities.
The students of JnU have long been demanding the rule be repealed with support from the teachers.
The university's proctor, Ashok Kumar Saha, had earlier said that they were in touch with the government to repeal this clause as its implementation would hike tuition fees and there would be little difference between JnU and other private colleges.
After two days of violent street demonstrations, students of Jagannath University have paused their agitation over a funding row following assurance from the ruling party.
The decision to halt the protest came on Monday afternoon from a meeting between the students, teachers and several student organisations.
Ruling Awami League's student front Chhatra League president Badiuzzaman Sohagh, after the meeting, told reporters that Awami League presidium member Obaidul Kader will sit with the stakeholders to resolve the matter at the Imperial Hotel at Gulistan on Tuesday.
The students had taken to the streets for a second day protesting the provision that the public university should generate its own income to operate.
Following Sunday's protest, some 1500 students had blocked the city's Raisa Bazar-Naya Bazar street at 8:45am on Monday amid police cordon, creating a severe traffic snarl-up on the Dhoalikhal connecting road and Dhaka-Dohar road.
The general secretary of the university's Chhatra Union unit Nazmul Hasan told reporters, "We've pushed back the protest for now. But we'll announce instant programmes if nothing positive comes out from tomorrow's talks."
At a press briefing following the meeting, JnU vice-chancellor Prof Mesbahuddin said, "We're trying with honesty and good sense. I hope the law will be reformed at the earliest."
According to the Article 27 (4) of the Jagannath University Act- 2005, the university authority will have to fund its operations themselves. The Jagannath College, founded in 1884, was turned into a university in 2005.
The students say the university raise their semester fees from Tk 3,500 to Tk 20,000 to raise revenue. Their other demands include recovery of university dormitories, setting up a library, and increased transport facilities.
Earlier in the day, baton-wielding police had clubbed and dispersed the students around 10am and several people including police constable Nazrul Islam and students were injured during brief clashes.
Police also detained at least 24 students during the protests on Monday before the situation came under control, Kotwali Police Station chief Salahuddin told bdnews24.com.
The traffic became normal around 10:30am after the protesters left the street. They took position inside the university campus.
Chhatra League activists also paraded down the street calling for repeal of the law while its president Shohag sat with the students on the campus.
The students of JnU have long been demanding the rule be repealed amid support from the teachers.
University's proctor Ashok Kumar Saha on Sunday told bdnews24.com: "We are holding talks with the government to repeal this clause as its implementation would hike tuition fees and there will be very little difference between Jagannath University and other private initiatives."
The angry students began their protests at 11am on Sunday in front of the National Press Club after they came to know about the funding rule from a newspaper report.
Police charged batons to disperse them and the students, in retaliation, smashed several vehicles.
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.