RU suspends admissions under ward quota amid student protests

Rajshahi University administration announced the suspension of admissions under the controversial “ward quota” system early Saturday morning, following escalating protests and violent clashes on campus.

The decision was communicated in an official notification issued at 1:00 a.m. by the University’s Public Relations Office, signed by Administrator Professor Akhtar Hossain Majumder. The notice cited “the prevailing unstable situation” on campus and stated that admissions related to institutional facilities have been suspended pending further review. An emergency Syndicate meeting has been convened for Sunday, September 21, to assess the broader situation.

Protests escalate into violence

The unrest began earlier in the week when a group of students launched a movement demanding the complete abolition of the ward quota — a system granting admission preferences to children of university employees. Since Thursday night, seven to eight students had been on an indefinite hunger strike, two of whom fell ill and required medical attention.

Frustrated by the administration’s silence, protesters on Saturday surrounded and blocked access to the offices of key university officials, including Pr- Vice-Chancellor Professor Main Uddin, Registrar Professor Iftikharul Islam Masud, Proctor Professor Mahbubur Rahman, and PR Administrator Professor Akhtar Hossain Majumder. Tensions boiled over into physical altercations between students and faculty members.

Clashes at Zuberi Building

The situation turned volatile at the Zuberi Building, where Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Main Uddin was reportedly trapped on the second-floor balcony after students blocked his exit. Faculty members, including Professor Kamal Uddin of the Persian Language and Literature Department and Registrar Professor Iftikharul Islam Masud, rushed to the scene in an attempt to de-escalate.

As crowds of students gathered inside the building, slogans echoed through the corridors. Some protesters climbed to the second floor and vandalized windows of administrative offices.

At least seven to eight people were injured in the clashes, including the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, a Deputy Registrar, Al Shahriar Shuvo (General Secretary of the RU Students’ Rights Council), and Salahuddin Ammar, a former student coordinator.

Teachers announce strike, protesters respond

At approximately 10:00 p.m., Professor Abdul Alim, President of the Nationalist Teachers’ Forum, announced that university teachers, officials, and staff would observe a full-day strike on Sunday (September 21) in protest of the violence and administrative inaction.

This announcement further inflamed tensions. By midnight, students from 17 residential halls poured onto Paris Road — the central artery of the campus — launching a mass protest that stretched into the early hours.

Faced with mounting pressure and the threat of further unrest, the university administration issued its 1:00 a.m. notification suspending the ward quota admissions — a major concession to the protesting students.

What’s next?

The emergency Syndicate meeting scheduled for Sunday is expected to determine the future of the quota system and address broader administrative and security concerns on campus.

For now, the suspension offers a temporary reprieve — but with deep-seated grievances still unresolved, stakeholders warn that calm may be short-lived without meaningful dialogue and structural reform.

The emergency Syndicate meeting scheduled for Sunday is expected to determine the future of the quota system and address broader administrative and security concerns on campus.

For now, the suspension offers a temporary reprieve — but with deep-seated grievances still unresolved, stakeholders warn that calm may be short-lived without meaningful dialogue and structural reform.