Ordinance delay deepens Dhaka Central University crisis

Efforts to resolve the longstanding problems of the seven government colleges in the capital appear to be creating new complications instead as the education ministry is yet to finalise the proposed ordinance.

The proposed school-based model in the draft ordinance for Dhaka Central University (DCU) has drawn flak from relevant stakeholders, including the teachers working in these colleges and the students as they apprehend that the move risks dropping a significant number of subjects.

To cap it all off, the ministry is delaying the ordinance. Amid the turmoil, teachers and students are taking opposing positions, exacerbating the situation further.

Students are scheduled to hold a sit-in today in front of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE). At the same time, teachers of the seven colleges have warned of a countrywide work stoppage in government colleges unless their demands are met.

Meanwhile, the decision to hold admission tests before the university has been fully established has further fuelled uncertainty. Sources said that due to complications surrounding admissions for the 2024-25 academic year, classes have yet to begin.

Meanwhile, the schedule for entrance examinations for the next batch is also approaching. As a result, students have already been pushed into an academic delay.

Under such circumstances, the Ministry of Education has said it is working to prepare a comprehensive and widely acceptable ordinance for all stakeholders.

How it all began

The seven government colleges - Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Govt Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Govt College, Begum Badrunnesa Govt Mohila College, Mirpur Govt Bangla College and Govt Titumir College - were brought under Dhaka University in 2017 without adequate planning or assessment.

Following a major student uprising last year, students of these institutions held demonstrations across Dhaka, demanding the establishment of a separate university for the seven colleges and the cancellation of their affiliation with Dhaka University (DU).

Amid ongoing protests, the DU authorities terminated the affiliation in January 2025. Since then, the Ministry of Education has been working to establish a unified university for the colleges.

Ongoing crisis

On 24 September, the Secondary and Higher Education Division (SHED) issued a draft ordinance for Dhaka Central University and sought opinions from stakeholders. Last month, the ministry held several meetings based on the feedback and assured that the final ordinance would reflect all stakeholders’ views.

However, tensions continue to escalate.

At Eden College, students have pressed a five-point set of demands, including reserving Eden exclusively for female students. They held a press conference last week and blockaded the Nilkhet intersection.

A separate group of students staged a blockade at the Science Lab intersection, demanding immediate publication of the final ordinance for the new university. They also plan to participate in today’s sit-in in front of the DSHE office.

Abdur Rahman, a political science student at Dhaka College and one of the organisers of the movement, told the Daily Sun that students are not receiving a clear response.

“Our demands have been submitted, and the ministry has provided a draft ordinance. But everyone is coming up with different opinions, creating further confusion,” he said.

“No final decision has been made. We will return to classes once a solution is found. But there can be no solution without dialogue.

That is why students have decided to continue the programme.”

A group of students from Govt Titumir College has demanded that the proposed ‘schooling structure’ - which would cluster the seven colleges under schools within the new university - be scrapped. They made the demand at a press conference held on Saturday on the campus.

Meanwhile, the Seven Colleges Autonomy Protection Council has threatened to launch an indefinite nationwide strike across all government colleges and offices if the final ordinance is issued without incorporating the opinions and demands of the BCS General Education Cadre.

The council has already observed several work abstentions and held a virtual meeting on Saturday evening to finalise fresh programmes.

A teacher at Dhaka College, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Daily Sun, “These seven colleges are historic institutions, each with its own heritage. Bangladesh does not currently need more universities; the priority should be improving the quality of existing ones.”

When contacted, Professor AKM Elius, interim administrator of the proposed Dhaka Central University, told the Daily Sun, “The ordinance is under review by the ministry, but both students and teachers are protesting. We have provided our recommendations, and instructions have already been issued to resume classes.”

“The final decision will be based on public opinion, and we have been assured that it will be acceptable to all stakeholders,” he added.

Alif Rudaba, additional secretary of the university wing at SHED, told the Daily Sun that the matter is highly complex, noting that even teachers advocating institutional autonomy are now part of the movement. She urged students to remain patient.

“The ordinance is still being worked on and it will take some time. Rushing the process could lead to errors that would affect students negatively,” she said.

The reporter can be reached at [email protected]