Leaders and activists of Progressive Students’ Alliance, a leftist students’ platform, would go for tougher movement to press withdrawal of increased fees in new dormitories and some departments of Dhaka University and rent for different facilities on the campus.
Addressing a news briefing at Madhur Canteen, the students said they would form human chain at Aparajeya Bangla on January 10, submit memorandum to the vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique on January 12 and hold solidarity rally on the campus on January 17.
They asked the university authorities to withdraw the new rents — Tk 5,000 for holding programmes at Swaparjita Swadhinata and Tk 1 lakh for using gymnasium playground —fixed in a recently held syndicate meeting of the university.
They also demanded withdrawal of a fee of Tk 1,000 in development sector in law department, students’ welfare sector in anthropology and Tk 1,500 for using lab of history and other departments.
Their demand also included cancellation of Tk 4,000 as ‘caution fees’ in newly made Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall and Tk 1,700 more in a new building of Jagannath Hall.
DU unit president of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front Rashed Shahrier read out the written speech at the briefing.
The university unit president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union Pinak Roy Pintu and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation leader Samia Rahman also addressed, among others, the briefing.