Students continue street protests for sixth day

Student protesters have returned to the streets in parts of Dhaka for the sixth straight day demanding safe roads although the government agreed to accept their demands and urged them to go back to classrooms.

They were found checking drivers’ licences in Mirpur, Shahbagh, Asad Gate and other areas on Friday. However, their turnout was not on the same scale as seen over five days.

Around 12pm, more than 200 students from several educational institutions took position at the Mirpur-10 intersection.

“We are out on the streets to make our demands effective, not to focus on the media," said Tahrim Samay, one of the protesters and a student of BRAC University, told bdnews24.com.

The agitated students issued nine demands, including capital punishment for reckless driving, which drew support from different quarters.

Students from Monipur School and College, BRAC University, BUBT, BCIC College gathered in Mirpur.

A group of students gathered at Shahbagh intersection around11:30am. They were seen standing beside the road.

“We are expecting a statement from the prime minister with a promise to meet their demands. We want our demands to be accepted in writing,” a student told bdnews24.com on condition of anonymity.

Additional police forces have been deployed to Shahbagh since morning.

“We are keeping an eye out so that outsiders cannot intrude into the student protests,” said Md Azimul Haque, additional deputy commissioner of police of Ramna zone.

On Wednesday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the government accepted their demands and urged the protesters to go home.

Many commuters were forced to walk to their destinations as the protests almost paralysed the capital and beyond.

Students started the protests from Dhaka, but it spread across the country following the deaths of two fellows in a road crash in Dhaka on Jul 29.