JnU Students demand Rapid Implementation of Second Campus

Bashir Shahriar,JnU Correspondent.

Student leaders of Jagannath University (JnU) have demanded that the development work for the university's second campus be completed as soon as possible. They have also called for resolving the accommodation crisis, improving the quality of cafeteria food, and ensuring justice for those responsible for recent oppressive acts.

These issues were raised today, Sunday, during a discussion meeting with a committee formed to address student-related concerns at the university. The meeting, held at the office of the JnU Vice-Chancellor, was attended by representatives from the university branches of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JnUCD), Islami Chhatra Shibir, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, along with faculty members on the committee.

At the meeting, Asaduzzaman Aslam, president of the JnUCD, emphasized the need for swift action against individuals who have been oppressing and assaulting students for the past 16 years. He also demanded the cancellation of certificates for Chhatra League members if they were proven to have attacked general students. Aslam expressed a desire for a collaborative effort with all active student organizations to take the university forward. Additionally, he proposed a financial fund to support injured students from the July movement, modernization of the e-library, and commemorative tokens for martyrs and injured students.

Asadul Islam, secretary general of the Chhatra Shibir, emphasized the need to ensure students' safety and welfare on campus. He urged that recruitment of teachers and staff be based on merit rather than political affiliations and recommended a rating system for evaluating online classes, as well as a focus on departmental assessments by faculty.

Evan Tahsib, convenor of the Socialist Student Front, suggested that only the army could handle the development work effectively and stressed that the administration should carefully oversee the contract processes. He also highlighted the need for reforms in the TSC (Teachers-Students Center) and its surroundings.

Nur Nabi, coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and a reform representative, criticized the repeated but unimplemented decisions to improve the university. He demanded the prompt implementation of student welfare programs like JnUCSU elections, subsidies for the canteen, and solutions for dormitory issues, mentioning that the list of "collaborators of autocracy" had not yet been compiled.

Raisuddin, convenor of the committee addressing student issues, stated that the committee remains impartial and is focused solely on student welfare. He alleged that some individuals have profited handsomely from the new campus project and called for their identities to be revealed.

Other speakers at the meeting included Sujon Molla, general secretary of JnUCD, Iqbal Hossain Sikder, president of Chhatra Shibir, and representatives of the reform movement like Masud and Atikur Rahman Tanjil, along with several others.