Khulna University students hold demo at night

Students of Aparajita hall of Khulna University (KU) have staged a protest against several demands, including the cancellation of a directive to remove cooking equipment from the hall.

The demonstrating students of the hall took position in front of the university’s main gate after breaking it open around 10:30 pm on Tuesday (August 16).

Later, the students ended their demonstration at around 2:30 am after getting assurance from the administration.

The demonstrating students said that a student of Aparajita hall of the university tried to commit suicide with a curry cutter around noon on Tuesday. The student survived after she was taken to a hospital following her rescue.

After that incident, the authorities ordered to seize the cooking equipment, including rice cookers and heaters, from the possession of the students. The authorities also warned that seats of the students having such equipment in their rooms will be cancelled.

Following this, a group of female students of the hall took position in front of the university’s main gate after breaking it open around 10:30 pm as a resentment was created among them. Later, the female students of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall and male students of other halls of the university joined the protest, expressing their solidarity with them.

The protesting students raised 10-point demands. The demands include—ban on use of rice cookers and cooking equipment should be lifted, principal should apologize for personal attack on student for protesting sexual harassment on social media, parents and female relatives should be allowed to stay if necessary, permanent solution to water and food problem should be solved, the hall principal cannot call the students of his own discipline (department) and harass them in personal and academic matters, the misbehavior of the hall officials and employees should be stopped, the threat of cancellation of seats must be stopped, the opinion of the students of the hall must be given priority.