The protesting students of Dhaka's Seven Colleges have withdrawn their plans to blockade New Market Police Station and halt Dhaka University (DU) bus services after the government assured them that their demands would be addressed through appropriate measures.

The announcement came on Tuesday (January 28) following a meeting at the Secretariat with Home Affairs Advisor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Information and Broadcasting Advisor Nahid Islam. 

Representatives of the students informed reporters about the decision after the meeting.

The discussion, held at the Home Affairs Advisor’s office, was attended by the Chief Advisor’s Special Assistant (Home) Md. Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, Rahmatullah from Dhaka College, and Sadia Afrin Mou from Eden Women’s College.

Dhaka College student Moinul Islam said, “The government has responded positively to our six-point demands. Immediate issues have been addressed, and we are assured that other demands will be fulfilled through due processes. We have withdrawn our planned blockade and other protests.”

Earlier, the students issued a 24-hour ultimatum following a press conference where they placed six demands, including resolving their grievances about the behavior of DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Prof. Dr. Mamun Ahmed.

The protests escalated on Sunday evening, with students staging blockades at Science Lab and Technical intersections. Later that night, they attempted to enter DU campus to surround the Pro-VC’s residence but faced resistance from DU students, leading to clashes. The situation continued for hours before students returned to their respective campuses around 3:30 a.m.

Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam stated that a detailed discussion took place regarding the students’ demands, and measures would be taken to address the issues effectively.

BDST: 1850 HRS, JAN 28, 2025
MSK/SMS