Online classes and other activities will continue as usual, the university’s public relations office says
Student’s death in road crash sparks protests in Dhaka, bus set on fire
A bus was set ablaze amid raging protests in Dhaka following the death of Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury, a student of Bangladesh University of Professionals, in a road accident near Jamuna Future Park at the capital’s Bashundhara area.
Published : 19 March 2019, 06:18 AM
Updated : 19 March 2019, 12:09 PM
Dhaka North City Corporation, or DNCC, Mayor Atiqul Islam went to the area to speak to the protesters around 10 am after the protests began early on Tuesday morning.
Despite the mayor’s requests and assurances, the protesters refused to move from the streets and around 12 pm, a bus operated by the Shuprovat Paribahan was torched. A bus from the same company had run over Abrar around 7:30 am, killing him on the spot.
Police have seized the bus and arrested its driver.
Following the accident, BUP students took to the streets and chanted slogans demanding punishment for the bus driver.
The traffic on both sides of the roads from Natun Bazar, Badda to Kuril areas were blocked due to the protests. The students vandalised some vehicles too in that time.
The road blockade continued until 2:30 pm, said Joyanta Kumar Saha, a correspondent of bdnews24.com.
The students placed several demands with Mayor Atiqul, including the death penalty for the bus driver within 10 days, revocation of Shuprovat Paribahan’s licence to operate, establishment of a bus stand, a government order requiring drivers to display their photographs and licence copies inside the bus, the installation of a footbridge at the Bashundhara gate and CCTV cameras to monitor traffic officers.
Seeking time to consider the demands, Mayor Atiqul said, “It is my seventh day as mayor. I’m not asking as the mayor but as a brother: please give me some time.”
He also sought support from all students and urged them to cooperate with him. He promised to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and assured that legal actions would be taken against the bus driver.
Atiqul also pledged to build a footbridge named after Abrar in front of the Bashundhara gate.
RELATED STORIES
Noore Alam confessed the rape to the court after his arrest
Students were on a fourth day of protests, obstructing the road and vandalising vehicles after the deaths of two students in an accident
Classes were closed from Apr 21 – Apr 27 due to the searing heat
