Lockdown: Chhatra League locks main gates of 5 Dhaka University buildings

Leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, padlocked the main gates of five buildings at Dhaka University late Tuesday night as part of their pre-announced “Dhaka Lockdown” programme scheduled for November 13.

The action aligns with broader calls from party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her son, ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy, urging supporters to observe the lockdown to protest the interim government’s handling of ongoing trials and demand political accountability.

In a recent directive, Sheikh Hasina called on Awami League supporters across Dhaka to enforce a complete “lockdown” on November 13, emphasising it as a non-violent stand against what she described as an “illegal” administration led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Similarly, Sajeeb Wazed Joy rallied followers to make the programme a success by staying home, avoiding workplaces and educational institutions, and avoiding streets to amplify the blockade’s impact.

Sheikh Hasina asks Awami League supporters to observe ‘Dhaka Lockdown’

Sajeeb Wazed rallies support for November 13 ‘Dhaka Lockdown’

Joy’s appeal, shared via social media and interviews, framed the lockdown as essential for resisting perceived injustices in cases against Hasina and other party leaders.

Dhaka University Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed confirmed the gate-locking incident to the media, noting that the affected buildings include the Faculty of Fine Arts, the Institute of Education and Research, the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, Curzon Hall Gate, and the Science Building. He stated that authorities would scrutinise CCTV footage to identify those involved and take appropriate action.

Sharing photos of the padlocked gates on Facebook, Mazharul Kabir Shoyon, president of the Dhaka University unit of Chhatra League, posted: “Make the lockdown successful all day on the 13th. BSL Lockdown – Faculty of Fine Arts, IER, Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, Curzon Hall Gate, Science Building, Dhaka University.”

Proctor Ahmed added that the university’s Proctorial Mobile Team had already broken all the locks discovered overnight. Additionally, a decision was made to dismiss Estate Office staff who were on duty at the gates during the incident. “We are reviewing CCTV camera footage to identify those involved,” he said.

In response to queries about bolstering security ahead of the full lockdown programme—especially given the high-alert status across Bangladesh due to the coinciding court proceedings on Hasina’s cases—Ahmed affirmed: “We will definitely be more vigilant than our usual measures. And we will ensure that everyone remains alert.”