Rachi’s death: Students lock JU main gate, stage sit-in

Freshers of the 53rd batch at Jahangirnagar University (JU) staged a protest, named the ‘Jahangirnagar Blockade,’ on campus Wednesday, following the death of Afsana Rachi, a first-year student who was fatally struck by a battery-powered rickshaw on Tuesday.

The protest began around 7:00 am when students locked the university’s main entrance and staged a sit-in demonstration. In addition to the main gate, they also locked the Prantik Gate, halting all vehicular movement in and out of the university.

During the sit-in, students chanted slogans such as, “Why did my sister die? The administration must answer,” “We are all Rachi’s siblings, we demand justice for Rachi’s death,” and “My sister is in the grave, why is the killer free?”

Parvez, a guard stationed at Prantik Gate, said, “The students arrived in the morning and locked the gate. Since then, no vehicles have been allowed to enter the university.”

A student from the Department of Drama and Dramatics in the 53rd batch said, “We are observing today’s blockade in protest against the death of our sister, Rachi. Yesterday, even before the administration issued an announcement, we decided to boycott all classes and exams. The administration has asked for 48 hours to meet our demands. If no visible action is taken within this period, we will boycott all classes and exams indefinitely. We will also call on the senior batches to show solidarity with our movement.”