Transport owners take buses off Dhaka roads amid student protests

Owners of transport companies have pulled their buses from services in Dhaka following street protests launched by students in the wake of the deaths of two college students in a road crash.

The shortage of buses has left many passengers in the lurch.

bdnews24.com reporters have seen hundreds of passengers waiting for transport in Mirpur, Mohakhali, Shyamoli, Bijoy Sarani, Uttara and Farmgate—the areas hit by student protests. The number of buses still on the roads in those areas was too inadequate for the passengers. 

Earlier in the day, traffic ground to a halt in parts of Dhaka after agitated students took to the streets for the third consecutive day to protest the deaths of their fellows.

A group of students blocked a large swathe of Mirpur disrupting traffic on a key road from Mirpur 1 to Mirpur 10. Another group took position at the Science Laboratory intersection.

Students from different colleges also agitated in front of Farmgate’s Babul Tower, bringing traffic to a complete halt in the area.

On Sunday, a bus operated by Jabale Noor ploughed into a group of college students waiting for transport on the Airport Road, killing two on the spot and injuring several others.

Students have made a nine-point demand, including capital punishment to reckless drivers.