Students of seven colleges renew road blockade

Students from seven government colleges affiliated with Dhaka University staged fresh road blockades in key parts of the capital on Thursday, demanding the immediate issuance of an ordinance to establish Dhaka Central University.
The protests, centred on the Science Laboratory and Technical intersections, triggered severe traffic congestion across several neighbourhoods.
The demonstrators said they would continue their sit-in until the interim government's Advisory Council approves the draft Dhaka Central University Act 2025.
Earlier, under a unified platform, the protesters had announced they would resume demonstrations at key points, including Science Laboratory, Technical and Tantibazar, on Thursday.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Dhanmondi zone of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Jisanul Haque, said students from several colleges, including Dhaka College and Eden College, besieged the Science Lab intersection, causing heavy congestion in the Dhanmondi and New Market areas.
He said vehicular movement at the Science Lab intersection had been disrupted since 12:30 pm.
Assistant Commissioner of the DMP's Darus Salam traffic zone, Ariful Islam Ron, said a group of students from Mirpur Bangla College blocked the Technical intersection for about an hour. Vehicular movement in the area had been partially halted since 1:45 pm, he added. The protesters vowed to continue their sit-in until the Advisory Council of the interim government approves the draft Dhaka Central University Act 2025.
According to the students, the education ministry had earlier assured them that all formalities would be completed by December last year, but no ordinance has yet been issued to establish the proposed university.
The blockades created massive tailbacks across the city. Vehicular movement in Puran Dhaka, Mirpur, Gabtali and the Science Lab-Dhanmondi areas was severely affected during the protests. Office-goers and students heading to examination centres were among those worst affected by the gridlock.
"We have no choice but to take to the streets," one protester said. "The ministry gave us a timeline in December, but we are still waiting."

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com