Jagannath University Students End 15-Hour Protest After Assurances

Students at Jagannath University (JNU) have called off a 15-and-a-half-hour-long blockade of the university’s administrative building following assurances from authorities that their demands would be addressed. The protest, led by students under the ‘Meritorious Project’ of the As-Sunnah Foundation, began on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. and disrupted normal university operations for more than half a day.

During the blockade, several senior officials, including Vice-Chancellor Professor Rezaul Karim, Treasurer Professor Sabina Sharmin, and Proctor Professor Tajammul Haque, were effectively confined inside the building. At around 4:00 p.m., the Vice-Chancellor entered the building to attend a recruitment board meeting, only to be temporarily detained by the students, who insisted on immediate attention to their demands.

The prolonged demonstration took a toll on participants, with Mustakim Ahmed, a student of the 2024–25 Bengali Department batch, falling ill due to hunger and prolonged chanting. He was subsequently admitted to the university medical centre for treatment.

The students’ demands centre on the inclusion of all participants in the Meritorious Project within the university’s standard hostel scholarship policy, changing it from merit-based to needs-based, and removing the 70% attendance and CGPA-linked conditions currently imposed. The protest follows a series of actions that began on Wednesday, including a previous blockade and a press conference issuing ultimatums to the administration.

According to Siddiq Imroz, a law student from the 2023–24 batch, “We initially surrounded the Vice-Chancellor’s office on Wednesday, but the administration did not address our concerns. After issuing an ultimatum on Thursday, we received no response, which led to today’s extended protest.”

The standoff concluded shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, when the acting registrar, Professor Md. Sheikh Gias Uddin, issued a written notice promising a solution within 21 working days, including the incorporation of Meritorious Project students into the standard scholarship policy. Following the notice, students withdrew from the administrative building, bringing an end to the blockade.

Summary of Jagannath University Student Protest

The resolution marks a significant moment in student activism at JNU, reflecting the administration’s willingness to engage with legitimate student concerns while restoring normalcy to university operations.