Students of Rabindra University in Sirajganj have blocked the Dhaka-North Bengal highway to protest the government's failure to approve the Development Project Proposal (DPP) for a permanent campus. The demonstration began at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 10, 2025, at the Hatikumrul roundabout, halting traffic on the Dhaka-Rajshahi, Dhaka-Pabna, and Dhaka-Rangpur routes.
Abdul Rauf, Officer-in-Charge of Hatikumrul Highway Police Station, told Kalbela that the students have blocked both the Dhaka-bound and North Bengal-bound lanes in the Dhopakandi area of the Hatikumrul roundabout.
The students have been holding various programs to press their demand for the approval of the DPP for constructing a permanent campus. Since July 26, they have conducted protests, including human chains and sit-ins, and blocked the Dhaka-Pabna highway in front of the university. Recently, they issued a 48-hour ultimatum, and with no resolution within the stipulated time, they resorted to blocking the highway today.
The students allege that despite being established nearly nine years ago, Rabindra University still operates from rented premises. Currently, the university has 1,200 students, 34 teachers, 54 officers, and 107 staff, running academic programs in five departments: Bangla, Sociology, Economics, Music, and Management. Although the university administration submitted a project proposal for constructing a permanent campus on its own land, it has not yet been approved.
In 2025, a new proposal was submitted to build a permanent campus on 100 acres of land at a cost of BDT 5.19 billion, which is currently at the stage of receiving preliminary approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). However, the students warn that they will intensify their protests if the approval and effective steps are not taken promptly.
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