BAU Students Block Railway Over Three-Point Demands

Students of the Faculty of Agriculture at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) staged a railway blockade in two phases to press for their three-point demands. On Sunday (September 1), they halted the Dhaka-bound Haor Express train from Mymensingh from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM. Later, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM, they blocked the Mohua Commuter train traveling from Dhaka to Mohanganj.

According to campus sources, upon receiving news of the railway blockade, Mymensingh’s District Commissioner (DC) Mufidul Alam and Superintendent of Police (SP) Kazi Akhtar Ul Alam arrived at the university around 3:00 PM. They held discussions with the students and assured them of arranging a meeting with the Agriculture Advisor to address their demands. Following this assurance, the students lifted the blockade around 3:30 PM.

Fahad Enam, a fourth-year student of the Faculty of Agriculture, said, “We held discussions with the DC and SP, who assured us that a meeting with the Agriculture Advisor will be arranged by Tuesday. Based on their assurance, we have withdrawn the train blockade today. However, we have held discussions in the past as well, but our demands remain unfulfilled. If the same happens this time, we will resort to tougher and more stringent actions.” Earlier, at 10:30 AM, under the banner of the Agriculturist Unity Council, the students began a procession from the front of the Faculty of Agriculture Student Association. The procession proceeded to the railway line near Abdul Jabbar Mor on the university campus, where they blocked the Haor Express train from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Later, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM, they blocked the Mohua Commuter train. During the blockade, the students raised three demands to protect the rights of agriculturists: (1) The 10th-grade positions (such as Sub-Assistant Agricultural Officer/Sub-Assistant Scientific Officer or equivalent) in the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), and all research institutions must be opened exclusively for agriculturists; (2) Promotion to the 9th grade should not be allowed without passing a recruitment examination; and (3) No one should be allowed to use the title “Agriculturist” without a bachelor’s degree in agriculture or a related field, and a government notification must be issued to enforce this. Sanaullah, another fourth-year student of the Faculty of Agriculture, said, “Our three demands are entirely justified. We have taken to the streets to protect the rights of agriculturists. We will continue this movement until our demands are met. If necessary, we will call for even stricter actions.”