Two Jagannath University (JnU) students on Thursday attended class wearing helmets as a symbolic protest against insecurity following collapse of roof plaster of a classroom on students. This incident of wearing helmets has now brought the issue of student safety to the fore.
Two students of the university's Mathematics Department for the 2022-23 academic year, Naeem and Nayan, attended their classes wearing helmets on Thursday morning. Their unusual presence has sparked widespread discussion across the campus.
Though at first, many took the matter as a joke, later it was learned that this was basically a kind of symbolic protest against insecurity.
Naeem, one of the protesting students, said, “Yesterday, our classmates were seriously injured when roof plaster fell on them. Today, I don’t feel safe sitting in class. So, I have come wearing a helmet for my own safety, and at the same time, it is an attempt to draw the attention of the administration.”
He added, “If lives are at risk in the classroom, then where are we safe? If there is no quick and permanent solution, panic among students will increase.”
Many of his classmates have supported his initiative. Mithil, a student of the Mathematics Department for the 2022-23 academic year, said, “This is not funny, but rather a reflection of our reality. We are really suffering from this kind of life-insecurity.”
In this regard, Chairman of that department Professor Dr. Mizanur Rahman said, “We have informed the administration about this matter and they will take action on an urgent basis. Also, rooms 119, 120, 121 are relatively less risky, so classes and exams are ongoing.”
He added, “The room I am sitting in is very risky, I am still staying there out of a sense of responsibility.”
However, two students were injured when the roof plaster collapsed in the seminar room of the university's mathematics department on Wednesday (April 1). This incident has sparked intense criticism of the university's infrastructural risks and administrative negligence.
Meanwhile, the administration has informed that access to risky areas has been restricted and efforts are being made to expedite the renovation work. However, students say that their concerns will not end until visible and effective steps are taken.
