Session jams, pending exams: RU students lock journalism department demanding prompt action

A group of students of the Department of Mass Communication & Journalism at Rajshahi University today (24 September) locked the department building and staged a sit-in in front of the dean’s office to push home their four-point demand, including a shorter semester duration to end session jams.

The students staged the sit-in at around 8:00am, our Rajshahi correspondent reports.

“Despite issuing a two-day ultimatum to the dean to accept our four-point demand, no visible action has been taken. That’s why we locked the department. All activities of the department will be stopped until our demands are met,” said Kamruzzaman Fahad, a journalism student of the academic year 2020-21.

Later, nine professors from the journalism department, including Dean Md Mozammel Hoque, Prof A Al-Mamun, Prof Mashiur Rahman and Associate Prof Satil Siraj, visited the spot and held a discussion with them.

On the occasion, the protesting students said irregularities have been taking place in the journalism department for several years. It’s taking a year to complete a six-month semester.

“The university is supposed to publish exam results within a month after the exams are complete, but the results are published eight to nine months after. In-course exams are not taken on due time,” said one student. 

According to the students, exams in the second semester for second-year students of the 2020-21 academic year started after 10 months. However, only two-course exams have been conducted with no exams taken for the rest of the courses.

They demanded that the routine of the stalled courses be published by today.

Besides, they demanded that the journalism department assist the university administration in the ongoing investigation against Prof Mushtaq Ahmed, who was recently suspended due to allegations of money embezzlement. 

Lastly, they demanded that the semester duration be shortened to four months to prevent session jams.