JU students have not vacated halls yet

The agitating students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) have not vacated the halls by 10 am today, though the university authorities asked them to do so last night.

After an emergency meeting today, the university administration has decided that they would go to the residential halls and request the students to leave.

Professor Motaher Hossain, chairman of the provost committee, told The Business Standard, "We held a meeting on the students breaking into the halls and staying there. Now the provost-house teachers of respective halls are going to request the students to vacate the halls."

"We hope they will respect the law. If they do not accept our proposal, we will take action against them after further discussion," he added.

A protesting student, Samia Hasan, said, "We have rejected the administration's statement. We will not vacate the halls. Our ultimatum is still going on. We want to know why the administration has filed a case against unidentified persons even though known locals have attacked them."

She also said that the students will gather to protest again today in a while.

The students started a protest on Saturday to press home their several demands, a day after some fellow students were attacked by the locals of adjacent Gerua village over a cricket tournament.

At one stage of the protest, the agitating students broke the locks of some halls and took position there.