Jagannath University (JnU) has been shut down completely as protesting students locked the main gate and initiated a hunger strike demanding three key points, including the handover of the second campus construction project to the army.
Earlier, on Sunday morning from 8 am, students initiated a hunger strike to press their three-point demand. Till now, 16 students fell ill due to the strike and were hospitalised. Despite assurances from the university's vice-chancellor and treasurer, the students have refused to end their protest.
On Monday morning, students were seen locking the main gate of the university. In addition, they locked gates in front of several buildings, including the Shaheed Sajid Bhavan and Science Building, and began sitting in a collective hunger strike.
Students from various departments, including botany, social work, political science, chemistry, CSE, physics, marketing, management studies, accounting and information systems, history, IR, pharmacy, mathematics, land management and law, mass communication and journalism, and Bangla, expressed solidarity with the shutdown by locking the gates of their respective departments.
As the main gate is locked, no vehicles can enter the campus. However, a pocket gate has been kept open to allow general students to access the campus.
The three primary demands put forth by the students are: the transfer of the second campus construction project to the army, the provision of temporary accommodation for students, and, until such accommodation is arranged, the allocation of housing allowances to at least 70 percent of the student body.
Translated and edited by Fariha Nowshin Chinika
