POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Feb 3, 2025 : Titumir College students have blocked the railway line at the Mahakhali rail crossing. They took up position on the railway line with a procession from in front of Titumir College at around 3:45 pm. After the blockade, student Ali Ahmed announced on the microphone, “The chief advisor or education advisor must come here and announce the university to Titumir. Otherwise, we will not leave the railway line. This is our demand.” 4 platoons of BGB have been deployed in the area including the railway line to prevent the blockade.
Students protesting against the university’s demands have announced a “complete shutdown” of Titumir College for an indefinite period from 10 am on Monday (3 February). On Monday (3 February), at around 12:15 pm, a procession of more than a hundred students from inside the college blocked the road in front of the college. Later, they prepared to block the Mohakhali Dhaka-Mymensingh road. A large number of law enforcement officers have been deployed in the entire area surrounding the students’ blockade. Police water cannons have been kept ready at the Mohakhali Amtoli intersection. In addition, BGB members have been seen in an alert position in the Mohakhali area.
Students have taken up positions by creating a blockade with bamboo on both sides of the road. The students have blocked the road in front of the college for the fifth consecutive day.
During the blockade, a protesting student was seen making a handshake announcement. He said that they are currently blocking the road in front of the college. They will start the previously announced program very soon. They will allow ambulances and other emergency service vehicles to pass. But no other vehicles will be allowed to pass.
A student involved in the ongoing movement said that a total of 10 students are on hunger strike. Out of these, 6 are on a hunger strike to death. The remaining 4 are on a mass hunger strike. 3 of them are in the hospital.
On Sunday afternoon, Education Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud said, “We will not take any decision in the face of demands by setting a time limit. The demand to make a university by setting a time limit is not logical.”
Rejecting this comment of the Education Advisor, the students blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Mohakhali at around 6:15 pm.
Last night, the students held a press conference and announced today’s program. It was said in the press conference that the students will observe the ‘Barasat Barricade to Dhaka North City’ program from 11 am to 10 pm on Monday to demand that Titumir College be declared a university. The program will cover Mohakhali, Amtali, Railgate and Gulshan Link Road. In addition, three demands were made at the press conference, including the state recognition of ‘Titumir University’ and the publication of the university’s academic calendar.
Last Thursday, some students of Titumir College started a protest by going on a hunger strike and blocking the road in front of the main gate of the campus. On that day, the students blocked the road in front of the main gate of the college from 11:30 am to 4 pm. They also blocked the road on Friday. Yesterday, the students blocked the road for the fourth day after Saturday.
Is the demand for Titumir College to be a university unreasonable or not? This reporter asked this question in a Facebook post, in which a senior journalist of Ittefaq named Ashraful Islam commented, ‘All the demands of everyone have been accepted, where is the problem if they accept them? Jagannath has been done’.
Afroza Shirin commented, ‘The college admitted students knowing that. Then why the demand for a university again’?
Abul Khair commented, ‘The demand to make Titumir College a university is completely unacceptable. If Titumir College is made a university, it will be necessary to make 50 more colleges in this country universities. Such as Dhaka College, Eden College, Government Bangla College, Faridpur Rajendra College, Khulna BM College, Manikganj Devendra College, etc. There are many universities in the country, the protesters should try to get a chance in those universities. It is not acceptable to create unrest in the country unnecessarily.’
Abdul Mannan commented, ‘Of course it is logical. Seven colleges will be united into one university. The university will run under one administration.’
Tarun Tapan Chakraborty commented, ‘Chalare Qadira’.
Mushfiqur Rahman Badal commented, ‘The demand is logical in the current context. Monkeys are cultivating the plough, whatever the crop. Minors have become talented adults and entered the secretariat. Now all the demands should be considered as fulfillable.’
Zakir Hossain commented, “These movements must be suppressed with a strong hand. These protesters have been joined by supporters of the fascist government who fled. The government must be tough.” Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Gulshan Division Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Md. Al Amin Hossain said, “We are on alert to prevent any kind of sabotage, chaos and destruction. However, if the students hold a peaceful program, we will not get involved in any kind of conflict with them. The students have a good relationship with the police. The demands they are making are a matter for the decision of the higher echelons of the government. However, we are ready to do whatever is necessary to maintain the law and order situation.”
