Bangladesh Protests - Support for students and statement from the Union

We understand the current unrest in Bangladesh may have a profound impact on many individuals within our student community. The safety and welfare of our students is our top priority during this time.

A statement from your Elected Officer team on behalf of the Union: 

As an Officer Team we are deeply concerned about the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh.

Our primary concern is the impact on our student members and their families and friends who are affected by the unrest in Bangladesh and our thoughts are with them at this worrying and uncertain time. We wholeheartedly support the right to peaceful protests and freedom of expression and denounce any actions that undermine these fundamental rights, which has been ignited by the government's crackdown on student protests advocating for reforms to the quota system for government jobs.

In Bangladesh, “University students have been holding rallies for days against the system of reserving some public sector jobs for the relatives of war heroes, who fought for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. Some jobs are also reserved for women, ethnic minorities and the disabled. A third of posts are kept for the family members of those categorised as war heroes. The students argue that the system is discriminatory, and they want recruitment based on merit.” (BBC News)

The Students' Union is here to support students affected by these events through our Advice Service. Additionally, the University of Portsmouth's Wellbeing Service, including Chaplaincy and Residence Life (Res Life), are available to assist students in need. We have been working with these services to ensure that they are ready to support students who may be impacted.

If you feel that the current situation is impacting your studies or wellbeing, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Advice Service. The Advice Service is setting up a Safe Space on campus in Meeting Room 4 and will be open for drop in all this week (Monday 29th July 2024 - Friday 2nd August 2024) from 10am-4pm. An online support space will also be available to students who may be affected or need support. These take place on Tuesday 30th July 1-2pm & Thursday 1st August 2-3pm. Please email advice@upsu.net if you would like to attend the online drop ins.

We stand in solidarity with Bangladeshi students and condemn the violence directed towards them.

The Student Union Advice Service offers confidential, impartial and non-judgemental support on a range of academic and university issues that may affect your experience. So if you need any advice on how to complete an extenuating circumstances form, the team of trained staff and peer advisors can help you. More information here.

The campus security team is available 24 hours a day, throughout the year, for both emergencies and non-emergency queries and can be accessed by calling: +44 (0)23 9284 3418

Should you need support for your mental health and overall wellbeing, the University Wellbeing Service is accessible via phone at +44 (0)23 9284 3466 or through email at wellbeing-admin@port.ac.uk. Additionally, other support services, such as quiet spaces for prayer and counsel over a cup of tea, are provided by the Chaplaincy Team, reachable by phone at +44 (0)23 9284 3030 or via email at chaplains@port.ac.uk.

Instances of hate crimes are treated with utmost seriousness. If you become aware of any such incidents on campus, please use the Report + Support tool page to report them. You have the option to report anonymously.