Faction of road safety protesters continue demonstrations at Nadda

Though most road safety protesters have paused their demonstrations after assurances from the Dhaka north mayor, a portion of them have continued their protests in the Pragati Swarani area of Nadda.

Over 50 students from the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) and the American International University of Bangladesh (AIUB) gathered at Pragati Swarani’s Bashundhara Gate at 11:15 am on Thursday.

Police came and asked them to move. After speaking with law enforcers the students shifted the demonstration to the road in front of Jamuna Future Park. They chanted slogans calling for road safety and for the driver responsible for the death of Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury to be given the death sentence.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Badda Zone ADC Ahmed Humayun told bdnews24.com: “The students are protesting peacefully. They are not hindering traffic. We are not obstructing them either.”

BUP Department of International Relations student Abrar was run over and killed by a bus in the Bashundhara Gate area on Tuesday.

BUP students took to the streets in protest soon after the accident. The protests spread to various parts of the capital on Wednesday. Students from other educational institutions joined the protests to express solidarity with the protesters and demand safer roads.

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam and DMP Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia went to the Bashundhara Gate area and named a pedestrian footbridge in memory of Abrar, fulfilling one of the protesters’ demands.

The mayor described Abrar’s death as ‘unfortunate’ and called upon students to return to class.

A 10-member delegation from the protesters then met with the mayor at the Dhaka North City Corporation. Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia also attended the meeting.

BUP student protester representative Faisal Enayet said at a briefing after the meeting that the mayor had assured them that Abrar’s death would be investigated, that the charge sheet would be filed in 30 days, that initiatives would be taken to construct footbridges and speed breakers within a month, that these initiatives would make visible progress and that Suprobhat Paribahan would never receive a route permit again.

The protests have been paused for seven days to observe the progress the government makes on these promises, Enayet said.