Students Protest Classroom Shortage at Jahangirnagar

At Jahangirnagar University, students of the English Department staged a protest demanding action to address classroom shortages and perceived inequalities within the department. The demonstration took place on Thursday, shortly after 12:30 PM, beginning at the university’s new Kala Bhaban and proceeding in a march to the administrative building, where the students held a sit-in.

The protesting students claimed that despite repeated discussions with university authorities, no effective measures had been taken to resolve their grievances. They warned that if the issue remained unaddressed, they would escalate their protest with further demonstrations.

During the sit-in, the students held a formal assembly. Sajjad Hossain, a student from the 50th batch and session moderator, introduced Tahmina, a fellow 50th batch student, who explained the severity of the classroom crisis:

“Each batch in the English Department has approximately 90 students. Despite this large number, the department has only three classrooms, one of which is particularly small. It is practically impossible to conduct classes effectively under these conditions. We have even attempted to use classrooms in other departments, but faced rude and humiliating behaviour, with both teachers and students being forcibly removed from these spaces.”

Another 50th batch student, Jahidul Islam, stated:

“We have repeatedly met with the department chair, the faculty dean, and the vice-chancellor. We were assured that solutions would be implemented, yet nothing has materialised. If classroom shortages persist, we will relocate our classes to the Registrar’s building and continue our protest until the issue is resolved.”

Mohammad Ali Chishti, 53rd batch student and executive member of the Jahangirnagar University Central Student Union (JUCSU), added:

“Students are deprived of even the basic facilities necessary for attending classes. During one batch’s lecture, students from other batches must wait outside. Classes are constantly disrupted as smaller batches cannot use classrooms when larger batches are in session. This mismanagement has persisted for years, creating severe organisational chaos.”

A summary of the students’ key grievances is shown below:

The protest highlights the urgent need for adequate infrastructure, improved scheduling, and proactive administration to ensure quality education. The students have pledged to continue demonstrations until their demands are met, emphasising that classroom access is essential for effective teaching and learning.