Titumir College students withdraw protest

The students of Titumir College have withdrawn their protest following assurances from the government that steps will be taken within the next seven days regarding their demand to upgrade the institution to a university.

In the presence of the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Md Nuruzzaman, and the college’s principal, Professor Dr Shipra Rani Mondol, the students announced the withdrawal of their protest on Monday night. At that time, teachers offered juice to the students who had been on a hunger strike.

After the meeting, the students stated that the Joint Secretary assured them that the government would take visible steps within seven days to transform Titumir College into an independent university. Based on this assurance, they decided to withdraw all programs, including the hunger strike and blockade.

They further mentioned that during the meeting, they raised concerns about students missing their studies due to participation in the protest. They highlighted that a final-year examination for one of the Honours batches under the seven colleges was scheduled for Tuesday and urged the authorities to postpone it. However, the principal informed them that the matter was beyond her jurisdiction. Nevertheless, they requested the authorities to consider their appeal.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar, stated that the government’s stance on the Titumir College students' protest had already been clarified by the Education Adviser. He emphasised that the Chief Adviser’s position remained unchanged and that no new decisions had been made beyond what was previously stated.

Highlighting the public inconvenience caused by the protest, the Deputy Press Secretary mentioned that the government was aware of the difficulties faced by the people. He added that discussions were being held with students to prevent further disruptions. The Chief Adviser’s office stated that if the students' demands were reasonable and they could garner public support, the government might consider them in the future. He urged students not to increase public suffering by blocking roads.