Main city roads see severe gridlock

Most of the key roads of capital witnessed heavy traffic gridlock following the day-long protest by students seeking reform of the existing quota system in government jobs, creating immense sufferings for thousands of city dwellers.
Working people and others suffered a lot as the anti-quota agitating students from public and private universities continued their protest blocking road and highways.
Since the morning around 10:00am several thousands of students of Dhaka University, private universities and job seekers continued their agitation occupying most of the key streets of Dhaka which continued till the evening.
During their protest city commuters had to wait for hours on buses and other transports while many of them reached their work destination on foot.
Shuvro Basu, a private job holder, said he took a bus at around 11:00am from Kallyanpur to go to Motijheel but till 2:30pm, he was at Banglamotor.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the gridlock on the city-road, he expected a solution on the quota system from government which could allow more meritorious students in government jobs.
Over 13 main routes of the city were affected during the protest which include Pragati Sarani, Green Road, Tantibazar junction, Agargaon junction, Dhanmondi 27 and 32, Purana Paltan crossing, Mohakhali, Amtali, Shantinagar, Aftab Nagar, Magbazar road and flyover and Kakoli crossing.
Another commuter, Selim Hossain, said he took a CNG auto-rickshaw from Dhanmondi 32 to go Biman Bondor Railway station. But little he knew about his journey as he was waiting for about an hour at the same place facing the protests.
The awful suffering emerged as private universities also joined the movement holding the same demand for reforming the existing quota system in line with the central agitating body-Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad.
Since morning students mainly from Dhaka University and job seekers started gathering near the Raju Memorial Sculpture, central library, Shahbag areas and continued movement in favour of reviewing the existing quota system which offer 56 per cent job seekers from different quotas and 44 per cent from merit-basis.
Long route bus services also faced same fate as students and Jahangirnagar University (JU) blocked Dhaka-Aricha Highway since the morning on the day.
Thousands of JU students brought out a protest rally from the central library premises and took a position on Dhaka-Aricha highway.
Due to the blockade, commuters on the Dhaka-Aricha highway experienced a terrific nightmare as around 2.0 km areas were blocked.
On the other hand, the agitating students body will gather again today (Thursday) at the Raju Memorial Sculpture of Dhaka University to communicate their reaction to the Prime Minister's declaration in parliament in favour of abolishing the existing quota system.
Rashed Khan, co-convener of the anti-quota agitating platform disclosed this to media immediately after PM's announcement.

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