FELLOW’s DEATH JU students block entrance in protest

First year students of Jahangirnagar University blocked all the entrances to the campus around 6:45am yesterday, protesting the death of fellow student Afsana Karim Rachi.

Afsana, a first-year student at the university’s marketing department, died on campus in an accident involving a battery-run three-wheeler on Tuesday.

The protesters presented an eight-point demand, including the proper investigation and justice for Afsana’s death.

They also called for installing adequate streetlights, footpaths, and speed bumps; regulating vehicle speeds on campus; and providing financial compensation to Afsana’s family.

Their other demands include improving emergency services at the university medical centre, banning unregistered vehicles, ensuring mandatory training for auto-rickshaw drivers, replacing unskilled security personnel, and immediately activating all campus CCTV cameras.

“We are categorising this [death] as a case of structural homicide,” said Happy Akter Shila, a first-year student of the philosophy department, adding that they will intensify their movement and call for the vice chancellor’s resignation if the demands were not met within 24 hours.

Durbar Adi, a first-year student of the archaeology department, said Afsana did not receive necessary treatment on campus following the accident.

“Thus, we are demanding a safer campus,” he said.

On Tuesday night, the university authorities suspended four officials, including deputy registrar Abdur Rahman, citing negligence of duty.