Regular academic activities, including classes and examinations, have finally resumed at Dhaka University (DU) after a long suspension of 83 days.
Most departments of the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biology, and other institutes began class activities at 8:00 am on Sunday.
Students were seen heading to various departments to attend classes. After a long hiatus, academic activities have resumed, bringing vibrancy back to the campus.
Jannatul Sultana Rima, a student from the Department of Islamic History and Culture, said, "After a long time, we had four consecutive classes today. The long closure has caused concerns, including session jams and other issues. We hope everything will return to normal soon. Additionally, we expect the university administration to take effective steps to resolve the session jams."
Sultanul Arefin, a third-year student, expressed, "I feel like it's the first class of my first year. It's been so long since we've all been together. I'm hearing about everyone's experiences of struggle and movement. It feels really good. I had been completely disconnected from my studies for so long. We hope that a normal academic environment is always maintained at the university. That’s all we ask for."
Regarding the start of classes, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Professor Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha stated, "Our classes have begun. We along with the Vice Chancellor have visited several faculties to observe the class activities. Earlier, at 9:30 am, we held a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs of the July mass uprising. We will also begin our new academic year’s classes very soon."
Sources said that classes and examinations at Dhaka University were suspended due to a strike by teachers and staff demanding the cancellation of the universal pension scheme starting from July 1 of this year. Following that, due to the anti-quota movement, everything was closed on July 17. After the fall of the Awami League government, students began returning to the residential halls on August 7. However, even though students returned to the halls, classes and exams remained suspended.