Five students fall ill during hunger strike at Begum Rokeya University demanding student council elections

At Begum Rokeya University, two more students participating in a hunger strike demanding the inclusion of student council elections in the university law and a prompt announcement of the roadmap have fallen ill. This brings the total number of students who have fallen ill during the strike to five.

Late at night on Sunday (17 August), Zahid Hasan Joy from the 16th batch of the Department of Sociology, Mahidul Islam Mahid from the 14th batch of the Department of Disaster Management, and Rummanul Islam Raj from the 14th batch of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism became unwell. Although the university administration sent an ambulance to take them to the hospital, they refused. They were later treated at the hunger strike site.

On Monday (18 August) morning, Arman Hossain from the 12th batch of the Department of Mathematics and in the afternoon, Noyon Mia from the 13th batch of the Department of Political Science fell ill. When the physical condition of Zahid Hasan Joy and Mahidul Islam worsened, they were taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital. The remaining three students are being treated with saline at the strike location.

To check on the ill students, the Vice-Chancellor Dr. Md. Shawkat Ali, Registrar Dr. Harun Or Rashid, Proctor Dr. Ferdous Rahman, and student advisor Elias Pramanik, along with several teachers, visited the hunger strike site. They requested the protesting students to end the strike and continue with other forms of protest. However, the students have decided to remain on hunger strike until their demands are met.

Arman Hossain, one of the striking students, said, “We are strong and will continue the movement. Today, we want to ensure through final discussion that student council elections are included in the university law; otherwise, we will continue the hunger strike.”

Another student, Ashikur Rahman, said, “It is extremely shameful that we have to go on hunger strike to demand student council elections. If any student suffers, the negligent university authorities should be held accountable and removed from their positions.”

Vice-Chancellor Dr. Md. Shawkat Ali stated that communication with the University Grants Commission (UGC) is ongoing and the date for the ‘L’ committee meeting will be announced soon.