Protesting Dhaka University (DU) students have labelled the seven affiliated government colleges as “burden” for DU, calling for the cancellation of their affiliation from the 2024-25 academic year.
They warned of escalated protests, including rallies and marches, if their demands are not met.
The protest march began in front of DU's central library at 11:30am on Monday, culminating in a brief rally at the Raju sculpture.
Addressing the rally, student leader Khairul Ahsan Marjan urged the university administration to engage with students and cancel the affiliation within a week, or face stricter demonstrations.
Marjan said that DU students have opposed this affiliation since its inception.
“The last six years have failed to bring any solution,” he said. “Affiliated colleges have burdened our university. These seven colleges should be disaffiliated to preserve the quality of DU.”
Maidul Islam, a student of the Department of Islamic History and Culture, argued that the affiliation impacts DU's standing in international rankings.
“Dhaka University would improve in global rankings if the colleges were disaffiliated,” he noted, adding that they would announce intensified protests if necessary.
During the protest, slogans like “One point, one demand, DU free of affiliation!” and “DU has no branches” echoed through the crowd.
The protesting students outlined six key reasons for their demands: Strain on DU’s administrative functions, particularly the registrar’s building; Reduced academic focus from DU faculty due to additional responsibilities; Disruption of DU’s academic schedule and delays in results, due to the added burden of managing seven colleges;
Funding diverted from DU research and facilities to the administrative needs of affiliated colleges; Dilution of the DU student identity;
A negative impact on DU’s international ranking as affiliated colleges are counted in assessments.
The demonstrators insisted that disaffiliation is essential to restoring DU’s quality and reputation.
