Students of historic Carmichael College in Rangpur continued their "complete shutdown" for the third consecutive day on Tuesday, pressing a 37-point charter of demands covering academic development and administrative reforms.
The protesting students once again urged the education adviser and the vice chancellor of the National University to visit the campus in person to address the longstanding issues.
Until 2:00pm, the students locked the main gate of the college and staged a sit-in, declaring that the shutdown would continue indefinitely unless top officials arrived for direct discussions.
They also announced plans to block rail and road communications on Wednesday as part of their next phase of protests.
Armed forces personnel were seen patrolling the college premises throughout the day as a precautionary measure.
The key demands include increased budget allocations for all sectors of the college, construction of new academic buildings and a modern auditorium, eviction of illegal shops from the campus and reclaiming encroached land, beautification and expansion of campus roads, and construction of a grand entrance gate, expansion and renovation of student dormitories, provision of at least six buses for student transport, modern laboratory facilities and transformation of classrooms into smart classrooms, recruitment of adequate teachers, and enhancement of ICT infrastructure.
Students alleged that they have repeatedly raised these issues with the college authorities over the years, but received nothing more than verbal assurances with no visible action.
"We've been vocal about these problems for a long time," said protesting student Sheuli Akter.
Another student, Shafiqul Islam, said, "We began this movement on August 5 last year. Ten months have passed, and yet there has been no concrete progress. This time, we won't back down. We are ready to escalate if needed."
Former student Sirajul Islam added, "This movement is not driven by any personal or political motive. These are collective, long-pending demands of students, teachers, and even guardians. It's about the future of a century-old institution."
Various organisations—including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Ganasanghati Chhatra Parishad, and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement—have voiced their support for the protests, along with cultural and voluntary groups.
Around midday, College Principal Prof Mostafizur Rahman met with the protesting students and assured them of his cooperation.
"We have already sent a written report detailing all the student demands to the education adviser and the vice chancellor of National University," he said. "We are trying to resolve the issues within our jurisdiction as quickly as possible."
The principal added that the college administration wants to see students back in classrooms soon. "We're sincere about resolving this."
The shutdown began on Sunday, when students locked the academic and administrative buildings and blocked the railway and highway near Lalbagh for three hours. They suspended the blockade following assurances from the administration, but resumed the full-scale shutdown as no visible progress was made in the following days.
