United News of Bangladesh

Police used batons and water cannons to disperse thousands of students protesting in Ranchi after they broke through barricades while marching toward the Jharkhand Assembly. The protest came as the state CID arrested former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairperson L Khiangte over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. Khiangte resigned from the post on July 22. Thousands of students arrived in the state capital from different districts by train, bus and other vehicles to demand reforms in recruitment examinations. Student leader Devendra Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike, also joined the march. Police had placed barricades at major intersections and other sensitive locations across the city and deployed large numbers of personnel to prevent any law-and-order problems. When protesters crossed the barricades and moved toward the Assembly, police used water cannons and baton charges to disperse them. Some students danced in front of the water cannons, in scenes reminiscent of recent student protests in Patna over the NEET medical entrance examination. "The government should listen to us and respond," one protesting student told local media. Most schools in Ranchi remained closed as a precaution. Police also checked buses and private vehicles at district borders, along major roads and highways in an apparent attempt to limit the number of protesters reaching the capital. Meanwhile, BJP leaders staged a separate protest outside the residence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The students' movement was largely triggered by allegations of question paper leaks and other irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). The latest march came after several rounds of talks between student groups and a government-appointed panel failed to end the protest, which has continued for 16 days. A sixth round of talks held on Sunday also failed to produce an agreement, with the students continuing to demand a probe by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged irregularities. The state government, however, said it had accepted 98% of the students' demands and urged them to call off the protest. The unrest also came despite Chief Minister Soren's appeal for dialogue, with the chief minister saying problems could be resolved through discussions rather than the use of force. Source: NDTV

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) staged protests on the campus on Wednesday, demanding the identification and punishment of the person accused of making an alleged indecent proposal to a female student after obtaining her phone number through a Facebook page. The protesters formed a human chain in front of the university's Central Library around 12:45pm before bringing out a procession across the campus. Earlier on Tuesday night, the victim, a student of the Department of Public Administration, filed a General Diary (GD) with Jalalabad Police Station over the incident. According to the GD, the student responded to a tuition-related post on a Facebook page named “SUST Update” by expressing her interest in the comment section. After the page administrators requested her phone number, she shared her personal mobile number. The student alleged that on June 24, she received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number offering her a job. She claimed that after she replied, the sender made offensive and indecent remarks and proposed an inappropriate relationship. She further alleged that when she rejected the proposal, the sender threatened her. During the protest, students alleged that if the administrators of the “SUST Update” Facebook page are unable to protect users' personal information, they should be held accountable for collecting it. They demanded that the authorities identify the owner of the phone number used to send the alleged messages and take legal action against the person. The protesters also called for accountability from the Facebook page administrators regarding the handling of users' personal information.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md. Jahangir Alam has said the public are going through immense sufferings due to the protests of the students of Government Titumir College. The Home Adviser made the remark while talking to reporters after a meeting over law and order and security measures on the occasion of Shaheed Day and International Mother Language Day. "The students of Titumir College are making people's lives difficult. Their demands keep increasing day by day. You also know who is behind this,” the adviser said. Titumir College students block Mohakhali level crossing in Dhaka; BGB deployed Several hundred students of Government Titumir College have put up barricades on road and Mohakhali level crossing, halting train movement and causing immense suffering to the commuters. Witnesses said the students put up barricades on the road in front of their college demanding university status around 12 pm on Monday, halting vehicular movement in front of Mohakhali Link road area. No plan to declare Titumir College a university: Adviser They also chanted slogans to press home their several demands including university status. The students brought out a procession around 4:30 pm and put up barricades on Mohakhali level crossing, halting the train movement. A long tailback was created from Mohakhali to Jahangir Gate area forcing the people to leave the vehicle and walk a long distance to their destinations. Russel Sarwar, officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station, said additional police were deployed to avert further trouble.  

For the third consecutive day, students blocked Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection around 11:45 am today (July 04, 2024), protesting the High Court’s decision to reinstate the quota system in government jobs. Around 11 am, students from various halls of Dhaka University began gathering in front of the Central Library. They then marched through the campus, culminating in a massive rally at Shahbagh intersection. Protest against quota: Students block Shahbagh for 2nd day Some students reported that as they were leaving their halls to join the rally, activists from the Chhatra League at Masterda Surja Sen Hall locked the gate to prevent them from participating. However, the main procession proceeded to Surja Sen Hall, broke the lock, and freed the students to join the protest. Earlier, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the protesters had blocked major highways and intersections in the capital, demanding the cancellation of the quota system. Students block Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection in protest against quota system reinstatement During the rally, protesters declared their determination, saying, if needed, they will shed blood to realize their demand. Earlier today, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the High Court order declaring the cancellation of the freedom fighter quota in government jobs as “illegal.”

At least 2,000 students from Dhaka University staged a protest today (June 09, 2024) against the High Court’s decision to reinstate the quota system in government jobs. The procession began at 11 am from the front gate of the Central Library and concluded at the Raju Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus. Marching through the campus, the protesters shouted slogans demanding the repeal of the quota system in government jobs. DU students protest High Court order on restoration of quota system in govt jobs Fahim, an English department student, expressed his frustration, saying, "The decision to reintroduce the quota system in government jobs has destroyed the hopes and dreams of students who aspire to advance the country with their talent." He urged continuous protests until their demands are met.

Rajshahi University students staged demonstrations for the 2nd consecutive day on Sunday and give a 24-hour ultimatum to the authorities concerned for reopening of all the dormitories of the university.

Jahangirnagar University students on Saturday unlocked the main gate of a dormitory as the authorities ‘did not take’ any step to fulfill their 3-point demand, including hall reopening.

Students of Barishal University have been protesting in the city since Wednesday morning against an attack on some of their fellows by local transport workers on Tuesday.

A section of students of 7 affiliated colleges of  Dhaka University on Saturday protested claiming DU authorities were indifferent to implementing their demands.