JCD hall committees
DU female students break hall gate locks in dead of night, demonstrate in front of VC’s residence
Students from various halls at Dhaka University (DU) began protesting late Friday night against the announcement of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (Chhatra Dal) committees in the halls.
At one point, a group of female students from Ruqayyah Hall and Shamsunnahar Hall broke the locks on their gates and joined the demonstration.
They marched on various campus roads, chanting slogans like "One, Two, Three, Four/Hall Politics No More" and "Hall Politics/Will Not Continue.”
Later, the students gathered in front of the Vice-Chancellor's (VC) residence. Around 2:30 AM, VC Professor Niaz Ahmed spoke with the protesting students in front of his home.
During the protest, Najmul Hasan, a student from Mohsin Hall, said, "July has returned to DU today. The promise of July was to keep the halls free of politics. But now, both overt and covert politics are happening in the halls. We want to see the halls free of student politics immediately. I want to tell those who want to bring student politics back to the halls: if you don't want to face the same fate as the Chhatra League, do not try to bring student politics back to the halls.”
A student from Ruqayyah Hall said, “ if anyone does not want to meet the same fate as Chhatra Leagu's Atika, then do not bring up the topic of student politics in the hall.”
Before this incident, protesting students from Ruqayyah Hall had presented a formal memorandum to the provost, requesting a ban on student politics.
In protest against the formation of hall committees, Ruqayyah Hall students staged demonstrations twice. In the afternoon, they set a deadline until midnight for the cancellation of the committees, and at night they protested again. Their demonstrations continued past midnight.
The protesting Ruqayyah Hall students submitted a memorandum to the provost with four demands. The demands are as follows:
Ruqayyah Hall must be declared completely free from all forms of student politics—both open and secret. Except for an elected hall union committee, if any political student organisation announces a hall-based committee, the residential seats of its members must be revoked.
Student organizations including Chhatra Dal, Bagchas, Chhatra Shibir, Chhatri Sangstha, Chhatra League (banned) and all other active groups must not form any kind of secret committee. Upon proof, their seats must be canceled and appropriate action taken.
The 17 July memorandum must be assigned a reference number to establish a legal basis.
If it is proven that the provost, house tutors, staff, or other hall authorities assist female members of any particular political student organisation, students will compel them to resign. In such cases, the university administration must stand by the students.
Students from Sufia Kamal Hall and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Hall have also delivered similar memorandum, advocating for the cessation of political activities’ in their respective dormitories.