Students begin assembling at DU VC House
After a brief calm on the Dhaka University campus on Wednesday morning following two days of intense clashes between protesting students and Chhatra League members over government job quotas, students began gathering in front of the Vice Chancellor House in the afternoon.
The gathering followed the university syndicate’s endorsing the University Grants Commission’s decision to close down the university for indefinite period and vacate the halls by 6:00pm Wednesday.
Around 2:00pm, protesting students began assembling at the main gate of the vice-chancellor's residence, expressing their grievances. They chanted slogans demanding answers from the administration for the deaths during the clashes.
Slogans such as "Why did our brothers die? We demand answers!" and "The movement cannot be suppressed by police brutality!" resonated through the air. They also criticized the Chhatra League, chanting "Down with the black hands of Chhatra League!"
Huge contingents of different law enforcement agencies have been deployed on the campus. The protesters had announced holding funeral in absentia at the TSC Square. The police already began to explode sound grenades to thwart the protesters from gathering there.
The clashes on Tuesday resulted in six fatalities across Chattogram, Dhaka, and Rangpur, involving conflicts between police, Chhatra League members, and general students advocating for quota reforms.
In response to the unrest, the government has mandated the indefinite closure of all public and private universities nationwide. The University Grants Commission (UGC), under government orders, announced the closure on Tuesday night and instructed university authorities to evacuate residential halls for student safety.
The announcement, signed by UGC Secretary Ferdous Zaman, was issued late on Tuesday, July 16. As per the government's directive, all public and private universities, as well as affiliated institutions including medical, textile, engineering, and others, will remain closed until further notice.
To ensure student safety, the commission has directed universities to evacuate residential halls promptly and relocate students to secure accommodations.
Prior to this decision, the Ministry of Education had already declared the indefinite closure of schools, colleges, madrasas, polytechnic institutes, and similar educational institutions, citing concerns for student safety.
In response to these closures, the Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordinating Committee suspended all ongoing Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations scheduled for Thursday. Additionally, the National University authorities announced the closure of all bachelor colleges affiliated with the university.
