Gazipur Digital University students on hunger strike for changing its name

A section of Gazipur Digital University student began a hunger strike today on the University Grants Commission (UGC) premises, demanding inclusion of the word "Bangladesh" in the institution's name.

They started the strike around 9:00am for an indefinite period after a 46-hour sit-in that failed to draw the attention of the authorities.

As of filing this report around 12:30pm, students had been on hunger strike for over three hours, but no response came from either the UGC or the Ministry of Education.

In a statement issued by the university's Name Implementation Forum, students said, "Despite months of peaceful protests and a continuous 46-hour sit-in, the education ministry has shown no effective progress in resolving the university's long-standing identity crisis. We have therefore been compelled to launch a hunger strike."

The demand for renaming the university follows a government gazette issued earlier this year, that renamed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University, Bangladesh as Gazipur Digital University. Students rejected the decision and have consistently maintained that the university's name should include "Bangladesh" to reflect its national identity and academic stature.

Speaking to The Daily Star, student leader Fakhrul Hasan Faisal said, "We informed almost all the relevant authorities about our demands. Despite waiting for months and repeatedly approaching them, no effective action has been taken. Our classes remain suspended. We staged sit-ins, and now we are on hunger strike. Still, there is no assurance."

Under the banner of "Long March to UGC," students began their protest march on Monday morning from the university campus in Kaliakair, Gazipur, and reached the UGC premises around 11:30am the same day.

They have proposed four alternative names: Bangladesh University of Technology, Bangladesh University of Information and Technology, Bangladesh University of Advanced Technology, and Bangladesh University of Frontier Technology. The students said they would accept any of these names.

The UGC had earlier clarified that the authority to change the name does not rest with the commission, as it requires an amendment to the existing law. The commission stated it has already forwarded its recommendation to the government.

Students have been protesting the name change since February. The university, established in 2016 in Kaliakair as a specialised institution, was originally named Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University, Bangladesh.

While a proposal to rename it Bangladesh Digital University was initially considered, the interim government finalised the name Gazipur Digital University, sparking months of protests.

Students have since submitted memorandums, formed human chains, boycitted class, and organised shutdowns and blockades to press home their demand.