Jagannath University unit Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shakti have staged protests demanding resignation of the university administration for not taking measures regarding Shibir-led attack on journalists and also their failure to meet the students' demands.
As part of the protest, they brought out a procession on the university campus on Sunday (March 8).
Mehedi Hasan Hemal, the convener of the Chhatra Dal branch, said at the demonstration, “After August 5, Jamaat and Shibir leaders and activists took control of the organizations of the Obokash Bhaban through secret political activities. On August 6, 2024, Shibir-backed journalists broke the locks sealed by the administration and occupied the Journalists Association.”
He also said, “On the prescription of Jamaat-Shibir, the current vice-chancellor has formulated a new constitution for the Journalists Association, where the president of the teachers' association has been excluded from the advisory council. After the term of the previous committee expired, elections were held in a hurry so that Shibir and pro-Jamaat journalists could be brought in as leaders. We told the VC sir to hold an inclusive election with everyone. But he did not do so. In view of this, on March 5, a vicious attack was carried out on journalists led by Jamaat-Shibir.”
Shamsul Arefin, member secretary of the university unit of Chhatra Dal, said in this regard, "We strongly condemn and protest the heinous attack on journalists by Jamaat Shibir. The pro-Jamaat VC is responsible for this attack. No investigation committee has been formed into this attack so far."
However, both the convener and member secretary of the JnU unit Chhatra Dal demanded the resignation of the VC as he failed to take steps on the attack on journalists led by JnU Shibir and provide the accommodation allowance to the students.
Faisal Murad, convener of the JnU unit Chhatra Shakti, said, “The administration has failed to fulfill our demands. When we went on hunger strike, the administration promised us that if supplementary scholarships were not given in January, they would resign. We are demanding the resignation of the VC due to the failure to fulfill the students' demands and administrative inefficiency.”
Ferdous Sheikh, spokesperson of the JnU Chhatra Shakti, said, “Today we demanded the administration's resignation not for the first time. We have been demanding its resignation for a long time. The administration has failed to provide us the supplementary scholarships; there is no progress in the work of the second campus. This administration is a failed administration; we are demanding its resignation immediately.”
At that time, Chhatra Dal Joint Convener, Zafar Ahmed, Sumon Sardar, Md. Mostafizur Rahman Rumi, Md. Shahriar Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan, Rabiul Awal, Nahian Bin Anik, Shakhawat Hossain Parag, Mia Rasel and more than a hundred leaders and activists of Chhatra Dal were present. Additionally, leaders and activists of various levels of JnU unit Chhatra Shakti were also present.
However, Shibir-backed journalists of Jagannath University Journalists Association attacked on the other journalists of the association led by JnU unit Shibir on March 5 where 12 were injured.
