Students at Jagannath University (JnU) on Tuesday laid siege to the university’s administrative building, demanding the immediate holding of the university's Central Students’ Union (JnUCSU) and hall council elections, which were suspended earlier in the day.
The protest began around 9:00 am, when students gathered in front of the administrative building, chanting slogans such as “Shame, shame,” “We reject the election suspension,” and “We will not accept the administration’s unilateral decision.”
The demonstration followed the university administration’s decision to postpone the elections, which had been scheduled to begin at 8:30 am on Tuesday.
Ashiqur Rahman, Jagannath University unit Islami Chhatra Andolon former General Secretary and a candidate for the JnUCSU executive committee, said that while students were deeply saddened by the death of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, the demand for elections had been ongoing for a long time.
“We have been campaigning for the elections for a long time. The administration is now pressuring us to withdraw from the election process. We cannot accept such a sudden and one-sided decision,” he said, adding that the university authorities had not consulted student representatives before suspending the polls.
He further said that ignoring students’ opinions and taking unilateral decisions contradicts democratic practice.
The protesters claimed that suspending the student union and hall council elections without student consent undermines democratic norms on the campus.
They announced that the movement would continue until the administration provides a clear and credible roadmap for holding the elections.
Earlier, the university administration suspended the polls following the death of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
MDAA/MHK