Jahangirnagar University is on Eid and summer vacation from May 30 to June 22. Meanwhile, on Sunday morning construction work on a six-storey building for the Fine Arts faculty near the Al-Beruni Hall extension and a new extension for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities behind the registrar building began, resulting in the felling of over two hundred trees. Additionally, the east and south sides of the Al-Beruni Hall extension area include a water body visited by countless migratory birds each year.
Significant outcry has emerged from students, teachers, and environmental advocates.
Prof. Md. Jamal Uddin of the Environmental Science Department spoke to The South Asian Times, stating, “The JU administration is not concerned about the life and nature of the university. The infrastructural development they are undertaking on campus did not consider life and nature at all in the initial stages. The administration should have formulated a master plan before starting this infrastructural development.”
According to Prof. Jamal, the facilities and establishments are not being developed with ecological balance in mind, leading to air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, and thermal pollution. Birds, in particular, will face the worst consequences. Due to the height, noise, and light of these buildings, visiting birds will not come. Moreover, they are filling water bodies to build infrastructure. The sewerage lines of these buildings are not set up properly, which will lead to debris from the sewerage lines accumulating on the surface of the lakes and water bodies.
The Jahangirnagar University (JU) unit of the Bangladesh Students Union(fraction) formed a human chain protesting the felling of trees on the campus without following a master plan. The human chain was held in front of the university's registrar building at 11:30 AM on Sunday, June 2.
Muktarul Islam Arko, vice-president of a faction of the student union, said, “Due to the destruction of trees in Dhaka, the temperature has increased excessively. Therefore, it is essential to develop a master plan to prevent issues similar to those in Dhaka from arising at Jahangirnagar University. The administration claims they are constructing buildings according to a plan, so why are trees being cut down during university holidays?” he asked.
Later in the afternoon, at 2 pm, the JU unit of Bangladesh Students Union(another fraction) staged a sit-in in front of the VC residence. They presented three demands to the VC:
1.Tenders for the master plan must be invited immediately.
2.Approval from the master plan formulation committee must be ensured for the construction of academic buildings.
3.No structure other than academic buildings can be constructed before the master plan is formulated.
In response to the students' demands, VC Prof. Md. Nurul Alam stated, "We require one month's time to formulate the master plan tender. As for the construction work, the faculties of the dean are aware. I have no further comments on this matter.”
At that moment, Prof. Mozammel Hoque, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, assured the protesting students, "We have ceased cutting down trees, and there will be no further deforestation. However, the construction work of our faculty will proceed as planned.”
The protesting students stated that they would persist with their ongoing movement until the master plan is formulated.
