The student movement at the International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC) has taken a new turn as female students have come forward with a separate set of demands, highlighting long-neglected problems within their campus facilities.
On Tuesday, September 23, the administration presented a roadmap to address the broader 15-point charter of demands raised by students. However, protesters rejected the plan, arguing that issues which could be resolved within a month were given more than a year’s timeline by the authorities. The rejection ensured that demonstrations continued into Wednesday.
Female Students’ Charter of Demands
In a statement of solidarity with the general student movement, female students from the dedicated women’s campus outlined their own demands, directed separately at the central administration and departmental authorities.
Key demands include:
- Academic reforms: abolition of semester drop fees, equalization of retake and improvement exam fees, reintroduction of special exams, and an end to unnecessary restrictions and exploitative rechecking fees.
- Transparency: mandatory showing of final exam scripts to ensure fairness.
- Transport: provision of dedicated female buses on crowded routes (Agrabad, Bahaddarhat, Kotwali, Ambagan) during peak hours.
- Facilities: improved canteen food quality, properly maintained air conditioning in the library, seating arrangements in female academic zones, and functional multimedia classrooms with regular maintenance.
- Departmental concerns: establishment of common rooms, modernized lab equipment for female students, wider Wi-Fi coverage, clean and tiled washrooms, and the installation of sanitary napkin vending machines.
Female students stressed that these demands require only goodwill to implement, warning that any “unreasonable delay” would force them to rejoin the protests.
Authorities Respond with Campus Shutdown
On Wednesday morning, the administration issued a sudden notice declaring the university closed, suspending transport services, and effectively halting academic activity. Students alleged that the measure was aimed at breaking the protest by preventing participation.
Female residents of the Bahaddarhat hostel reported that the gates of their dormitory were locked from outside, restricting both entry and exit. “They are trying to trap us inside so we cannot join the movement,” one student told Gonotaar.
Outlook
The shutdown has drawn sharp criticism from students, who called the measures “unethical” and “repressive.” With the administration yet to offer concrete timelines acceptable to protesters, tensions remain high, and female students’ demands have added a new dimension to the ongoing crisis at IIUC.
