The long-delayed construction of Jagannath University’s (JnU) second campus in Keraniganj has come to a halt due to bureaucratic red tape.
Back in January, students staged a class and exam boycott, coupled with a 35-hour hunger strike, demanding that the army be assigned to execute the project.
In response, the education ministry on January 16 instructed JnU and related authorities to proceed with the remaining work of the “Establishment of New Campus of Jagannath University: Land Acquisition and Development” project, assigning it to the army under a “procurement through assignment” method.
However, since the original Development Project Proposal (DPP) had several errors, the university submitted a Revised Development Project Proposal (RDPP) to the Planning Commission. According to insiders, the RDPP has yet to be approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), delaying fund release and the formal handover of the project to the army.
Although a review meeting on the RDPP was held at the Planning Commission on April 13, no approval has been granted yet, bringing all progress to a standstill.
“We haven’t officially received the project. The RDPP is still pending ministry approval,” said Lt Col Iftekhar Alam, the project director, to The Daily Star.
“No approval means no funds. Without funds, we can’t begin any fieldwork. We’re hopeful that the RDPP will be approved this month,” he added.
He also noted that the army intends to implement the project in two phases, with phase one aimed for completion by December 2026.
According to project documents, the estimated cost stands at Tk 1,734 crore, covering land acquisition, sand filling, construction of an engineering building and base camp, boundary wall, deep tube wells, pond ghats, and external electrification.
A recent visit to the project site in Tegharia, Keraniganj, revealed minimal visible activity, except for some pond ghat work being carried out by the previous contractor.
Students are growing increasingly frustrated with the delay.
“Every day, we struggle through Old Dhaka’s traffic to attend classes drenched in sweat,” said Tasmia Sarker, a student of Mass Communication and Journalism. “We genuinely urge the university authorities to make visible progress on the second campus.”
Helal Uddin, a finance student, added, “We’ve long demanded a safe and modern academic atmosphere. If needed, we will return to the streets.”
Chief Engineer Md Helal Uddin Patwari confirmed that the RDPP is still awaiting approval from the planning ministry. “Once the clearance comes through, work can begin,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the first phase of work would start soon and finish before the 2026 deadline.
Regarding land acquisition and dormitory construction, Patwari said a portion of land is still pending acquisition. “Initially, dormitories weren’t part of the first phase, but after student protests, construction of two halls—Bani Bhaban and Abdur Rahman—was included in the revised RDPP.”
When contacted, JnU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Rezaul Karim declined to comment and referred queries to the project director.
The idea of a second JnU campus was first approved by the government in 2016 following major student protests. In 2018, the land ministry allocated 200 acres in Keraniganj for the project. But progress has remained sluggish ever since.
Established in 2005 with 22 departments under four faculties, Jagannath University now has 40 departments across six faculties—all cramped within its 11-acre main campus in Sadarghat, catering to over 19,000 students.
