Students of seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University are staging demonstrations, boycotting classes and examinations in protest against the government's refusal to form a commission for establishing a separate university for them.

They gathered at the Dhaka College campus around 9:45am today chanting different slogans, our Dhaka University correspondent reports.

Nayim Hawlader, a student of Dhaka College and one of the organisers of the demonstration, told The Daily Star, "If our demand for an autonomous university is not accepted by tomorrow, we will announce tougher programme."

Yesterday, they announced the boycott of classes and exams for today and tomorrow protesting the government's decision.

Two days ago, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, said that the seven DU-affiliated government colleges would have a dedicated unit to look after them while their affiliations with the university would remain intact.