The activist organisations strongly protested and condemned the decision of Rajshahi University to reduce 298 seats in 3 years.  The protest was announced in a circular sent by Sajib Ali member of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front on Thursday.

After reducing 2021-22 academic year 168 seats, 2022-23 academic year 90 seats also the university administration has decided to reduced 40 seats in 2023-24 academic year. With this a total of 298 seats has reduced. The activists organisations protested this decision of University administration.

The branch University’s convenor of Socialist Front Fuad Ratul, Shakeel Hossain president of Biplabli Chhatra Maitri, Mehdi Hasan Munna president of Nagrik Chhatra Oikya, Tarek Ashraf convenor of Revolutionary Student-Youth Movement, Bablu Chakma convenor of Greater Chittagong Hill Tracts Student Council, Raihan Ali Diwa president of Bangladesh Student Federation.  In a joint statement, they said, ‘higher education are shrinking by seats cuts, increasing dependent on private universities and accelerating the commercialization of education.’

In the mean time they also said, ‘the cause of reducing seats the administration shows Classroom, Laboratory, Education materials and Housing etc are crisis. But the solve of this problem is possible just only doing infrastructure development increasing state allocation.However, the state and the government’s loyal administration have no desire to increase the allocation. In addition, the audit objection of 112 crore 97 lakh published on 18 July 2023 is exposing their irregularities and irresponsibility in the development of education.

At last, the speakers warned the university administration and said that the anti-public decision to reduce the seats should be withdrawn immediately.  Otherwise, an intense movement will be formed against it along with ordinary students.