Students take to streets with four-point demand

Students of seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University once again took to the streets yesterday, to press home their four-point demand -- including promotion of students who failed their honours first year final examination.

The agitating students started their demonstration at 10am, blocking the Nilkhet intersection.

This resulted in suffering for commuters on the route, who were stuck in long tailbacks because of the blockade. Many people were seen walking to their destinations.

The students’ other demands include re-evaluation of answer scripts to prevent mass failures; arranging re-examination for students of 2017-2018 session to promote them to the next year; and publishing results within three months.

They withdrew their blockade at 1:30pm, after some teachers of Dhaka College went to the spot and assured them of discussing their demands with the DU vice-chancellor.

Talking to The Daily Star, Shrabony Sarker, a student of Eden College, said, “Since the seven colleges got affiliated, there is no academic calendar, no syllabus and authorities do not issue any prior notice before publishing results. We are passing our academic life through acute mismanagement. Why did they affiliate us if they cannot take responsibility?”

“Except for some departments, results of most departments are yet to be published, although the examination of 2017-2018 session was held nearly eight months ago. Also, a large number of students were shown failed in the published results.

We want timely publication of our result and proper evaluation of answer scripts,” said Mohammad Saifullah, a student of Dhaka College’s Bangla department. 

Contacted, DU VC Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman said, “We were notified that some students were demonstrating. But there would be no exception of our rules. Everything will be operated as per rules of our university.”

On February 17, 2017, the government affiliated Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Mohila College, Mirpur Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College with Dhaka University. Under the arrangement, their curricula were brought under DU.