Staff Reporter :
Students of Dhaka’s College of Home Economics have announced a ‘grand rally’ after blocking a main thoroughfare at Nilkhet area for hours.
On Wednesday, protestors blocked the New Market intersection for a third day and continued agitation for the recognition of their college as an Institute of Dhaka University.
Demonstrators said a grand rally will be held on Thursday at the same venue and that they will hold a media briefing.
Around 11am on Wednesday, hundreds of students of the college blocked the road and started demonstrating, creating a traffic gridlock in and around the area. The blockade was lifted around 2pm with the demonstrators announcing programmes for Thursday. “The administration thinks being women, we will give up. But we will agitate in full swing tomorrow,” said protester’ spokesperson of Clothing and Textile Department student Sabrin Sultan Suminur.
Students of the college at Dhaka’s Azimpur raised the movement in September last year.
Protesters, who have boycotted classes since Mar 11, said they would not go back to classes until their demands are met.
Meanwhile, the agitation disrupted vehicular movement on the roads to Azimpur, Mirpur, New Paltan Line and Dhaka University causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
Police were requesting the demonstrators to clear off their blockade, which caused a long tailback on the New Market road and was gradually spreading to adjacent areas.
“My son studies in New Paltan Line School and College. My son and me were going to the school at 10am yesterday. When we reached at Labaid Intersection, the movement of the bus was stopped as the students of Home Economics College blocked the roads. We went to the school by walking which was too much hard,” Sonia Akhter, a housewife, told The New Nation. “We are used to come to New Market at 11am every day. But it was two hours late due to the students’ movement. It fallen me in severe problem,” Ershad Hossain, a businessman said.
Officer-in-Charge of Lalbagh Police Station Md Moniruzzaman said, the police observed that the students’ agitation created public sufferings. “We requested them to withdraw their agitation, but they rejected and continued,” the OC said.
