Railway connections across the country have come to a standstill as Rajshahi University (RU) students kept the railway line blocked from 11:30am to 1pm today (5 March).
The students were stationed at the Station Bazar area of the university, where students gathered to voice their frustration over Dhaka University’s (DU) dominance in recruitment and policymaking.
Why are RU students protesting?
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Salauddin Ammar, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement at RU, said, “We want equal opportunities in recruitment across the country. Dhaka and Dhaka University dominate everything—from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to the appointment of advisers. This centralised system must change. We demand structural reforms in institutions like the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the UGC.”
Chanting slogans like “Dhaka or Rangpur? Rangpur, Rangpur!” and “DU or RU? RU, RU!” students emphasised their call for decentralisation, arguing that Dhaka University enjoys disproportionate privileges in academia, public service recruitment, and policymaking.
They left the spot after presenting three demands including participation of all stakeholders such as RU, CU, JU, JU, 7 colleges, private universities, national universities, madrasas for state reforms, reforming state institutions and organisations including the Reform Commission, PSC, UGC to ensure everyone’s participation, and form an outline for a decentralised Bangladesh
They said they would hold a protest after Iftar tomorrow if their demands are not met.
The protest follows a demonstration on campus the previous night (4 March), where students gathered to demand fairer representation in national decision-making processes.
Railway disruptions due to blockade
Due to the blockade, railway services have been severely affected. Acting Rajshahi Railway Station Superintendent Shahidul Alam confirmed that several trains, including the Dhumketu Express from Dhaka and the Kapotaksha Express and Tungipara Express from Khulna and Gopalganj, are stranded at different stations.Protesters have vowed to continue their demonstration until their demands are addressed.