Students block road in Dhaka’s Banani to demand 50% discount on bus fare

The protesters say buses are not giving the student discount on the Gulshan-Banani-Notunbazar route

Protesters have blocked a key road in Dhaka’s Banani to demand a 50 percent student discount on circular buses.

Students from Banani Bidyaniketan School and College began the protest on Tuesday afternoon, said Noor-e Azam, chief of Banani Police Station.

Over 100 students took up positions in the Kakoli area, blocking traffic from Banani to the Gulshan-2 road.

The protesters say that the buses running on the Gulshan-Banani-Notunbazar circular route are not giving students the discounts they are due.

Every day, nearly 1,000 students use the bus route, they said. Buses are charging Tk 30 for the route, which covers a distance of about 2.5 kilometres.

Traffic has come to a standstill on Kemal Ataturk Avenue due to the protest, said Traffic Inspector Mohammad Salauddin of Gulshan police. But traffic is moving through other roads.

Police are speaking with the protesters and are trying to get them to clear the road.