Traffic chaos hits Dhaka as DU students block Shahbag

The students of Dhaka University have blocked the capital's Shahbag intersection on Wednesday demanding the authorities reverse the decision of affiliating seven colleges with the institution.

Dhaka University Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 17 July 2019, 09:34 AM
Updated : 17 July 2019, 09:34 AM

The protest began around 12pm, halting traffic on several adjoining roads from Shahbag. The students also staged a protest blocking all vehicles around the Raju Memorial Sculpture.

Commuters in Dhaka, along with patients and their relatives heading to BSMMU, BIRDEM and DMCH, suffered as the demonstration disrupted traffic since morning.

"The administrative and academic activities of students have been hanging down as seven colleges are affiliated with Dhaka University. The institution has also been caught by session jam due to the irregular classes and delays in publishing test results, Mostakim Ahmed Ashique, student of DU’s political science department, told bdnews24.com.

"Even the DU students may have suffered from a severe identity crisis."

The students brought out a procession around 11am and marched towards the Shahbag intersection, chanting slogans.

The agitated students also demanded providing separate certificates to them, mentioning the names of colleges with separate colour and design before removing the institutions from the affiliation list.

Earlier in the day, disgruntled students of seven colleges had blocked the capital's Nilkhet intersection to press a three-point list of demands on Tuesday.