Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Adviser Md. Nahid Islam assured Jagannath University (JnU) students on Monday that their demands—including the transfer of work on the university's second campus to the Bangladesh Army—will be met within three working days.
Addressing students protesting in front of the Secretariat in the afternoon, Nahid stated, "We have not forgotten Jagannath University’s contributions to the July-August Mass Uprising. It is disheartening that students still have to take to the streets to have their demands met. I assure you that all your demands will be accepted within three working days.”
When students questioned the feasibility of the three-day timeline, Nahid clarified that certain issues, such as the construction of dormitories, may take longer to address, but he stressed that their demands are being taken seriously. He also committed to personally overseeing the transfer of the second campus project to military management.
The protest, organized by general students, began at 11:30 am with a mass procession originating from the university campus and attracted approximately 2,000 participants.
The students put forward a three-point demand that includes holding corrupt project directors—appointed under the previous autocratic government—legally accountable and replacing them with a competent military officer within seven days.
They also called for the formal handover of the second campus project to the military and a detailed roadmap for the project's completion, prioritising student accommodations.
Additionally, the students urged the immediate acquisition of the remaining 11 acres of land for the campus and demanded the annulment of unethical agreements regarding the old campus made during the autocratic regime.
Movement organizer AKM Rakib stated, "Today, we will submit a memorandum to the ministry. We are allowing three working days for the resolution of these issues. Should no progress be made within this period, we will be compelled to escalate our program."
The students’ demonstration caused significant traffic disruptions around Dhaka, leading to congestion in several major routes.
