Students of 7 colleges block Shikkha Bhabon road demanding ordinance

Students from seven colleges staged a protest on Sunday afternoon, blocking Shikkha Bhabon road to demand the immediate promulgation of the ordinance for Dhaka Central University.

The demonstration, began around 1:00 pm, brought traffic on both sides of the road, leading to the national secretariat, to a halt.

Representing the Seven Colleges University Transformation Movement, the students expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in finalizing the legal framework for the proposed university. Though the Ministry of Education published a draft ordinance and accepted public feedback from September 24 to October 9, followed by three rounds of stakeholder meetings, no official ordinance has been issued.

“Without legal recognition, nearly 150,000 students face identity crises, academic uncertainty, and jeopardized career prospects,” the group said in a statement.

The demand follows the Ministry of Education’s November 12 announcement confirming its policy decision to merge the seven colleges into a new public university named Dhaka Central University. At the time, the ministry asked students to “avoid rumors and act responsibly”, but offered no timeline for implementation.

Protesters now insist the government move swiftly to enact the ordinance, warning that further delays could provoke broader student unrest.

NS/MHK