SAU students block Agargaon road for fourth day to save research field from secretariat plan

Students of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) protested for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday (November 1) against a move to build a secretariat on the old trade fair ground that the university uses as its research field. After a protest procession in the morning, they blocked the road at the China Maitree Conference Centre signal in Agargaon, halting traffic in the area for about an hour.

The students gathered in front of the university administrative building at 10am on Sunday. They then marched around the university and blocked the road at the China Maitree Conference Centre signal in Agargaon, chanting slogans against the secretariat construction initiative during the blockade.

During the protest, the students chanted slogans including “My campus stays mine, bureaucrats and secretaries stay out” as their movement to protect the research field entered its fourth day.

The students say the old trade fair ground is used as the university research field and is important for the university research and agricultural education. Building a secretariat there would go against the interests of the education environment and agricultural research, they allege.

The students had earlier held various programmes demanding that the field be handed over to the university. They said they have continued the movement because that demand has not been met.