Students of Jagannath University (JnU) continued their blockade at the capital’s Kakrail intersection for a second straight day on Wednesday, pressing for the fulfillment of their four-point demand.
Demonstrators, who have vowed to maintain their sit-in until the government provides a clear and official response, were joined by faculty members and other stakeholders under the banner of *Jagannath Oikyo*. The group has announced an indefinite closure of the university.
Jagannath University Teachers’ Association General Secretary Prof Rais Uddin made the declaration, stating, “Threats won’t silence us. Our demands are just. The university will remain closed until they are met.”
Referring to Tuesday’s violent clashes, Prof Rais added that he had expressed regret on behalf of the teachers’ association to the Information and Broadcasting Adviser, who is himself a former JnU student.
“Our students have been protesting peacefully for two days, yet there has been no official response,” he said. “This government was built on the sacrifices of the July revolutionaries — the same people it now discriminates against. Ironically, we helped these very advisers come to power through our past movements, and now they oppose us.”
Tensions escalated significantly on Tuesday when a “Long March to Jamuna” turned violent at around 12:40 pm. Law enforcers baton-charged the protesters and fired tear gas shells, injuring over 50 individuals, including students, teachers, and journalists. Prof Rais himself was among those hurt.
Security has since been ramped up around the residence of the chief adviser amid growing unrest.
Later in the evening, Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam visited the protest site around 10:10 pm in an attempt to calm tensions. However, the meeting turned tense as students shouted “Bhua, Bhua” (“Fake, fake”), rejecting his intervention.
According to eyewitnesses, at least 300 teachers and students spent the night on the street outside the Kakrail mosque, continuing their protest into Wednesday.
The JnU community remains firm in their demand for immediate government action, as frustration mounts over what protesters describe as prolonged neglect of their concerns.
