Staff Reporter :
Several hundred of students protested on the roads in Nilkhet and Shantinagar areas of the capital on Monday demanding half fare for buses and safety roads.
They held a sit-in strike on Monday noon at Nilkhet intersection of the capital in realisation of their demands.
According to strikers, general students will hold a protest in front of the BRTA office on Tuesday demanding issuance of a notification fixing half pass or half fare for the students.
They submitted a memorandum on their nine-point demand to the education ministry yesterday. The protesters declared that they would blockade the BRTA office on Tuesday if the government fails to issue a gazette on half bus fares on public transports for students. They also said that memorandums would later be sent to the Railway and Shipping Ministries.
“If the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) can issue the gazette before noon today, then we will thank them with flowers. Otherwise, we will stay on strike in front of the BRTA office, as nothing happens in this country without a student movement,” Mohidul Islam Daud, a Maijdee Public College student, said.
According to the government, 5.6 million students in Dhaka come from different parts of Bangladesh. Among them, two million live below the poverty line. Is it possible for them to pay full fares?” he askeds.
The protesters said it was “shameful” that the government had failed to take a decision on half fares after 21 days of demonstrations.
They also said the government had repeatedly made false promises. Rayhan Hawladar, a Munshi Abdur Rahman college student, said they would. not grant a single day of respite to BRTA until their demands are met, as the authorities have already gotten enough time.
Meanwhile, students in Chattogram have taken to the streets in support of the road safety movement, justice for road accident victims and half pass on bus fares on Monday.
They took position at the WASA intersection of the city to press home their nine-point demand including road safety.
While chanting various slogans, protesters also demanded justice for the death of Nayeem Hassan, a young boy who was killed by a garbage vehicle of Dhaka South City Corporation on November 24.
Mazedul Islam, a participant from the protest, said, “Transport fares have been increased much more in comparison to the fuel price hike. Moreover, the drivers and their helpers misbehave with students if they demand a half fare.”
The BRTA has held multiple meetings with bus owners on half fares for students, but they are yet to reach a solution, as bus owners are insistent on subsidies to bear the cost of the student discount.
UNB adds: Police on Monday foiled an attempt of eight left-leaning student organisations to block Shahbagh intersection to press home their various demands, including half fare on public transport for students.
Their other demands include government steps to control the abnormal price hike of daily essentials and reduce fuel prices.
The leaders and activists of the left-leaning organizations brought out a procession from Dhaka University’s TSC area at noon, said Moudud Hawladar, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station.
When their procession got close to the National Museum, police obstructed them, leading to a scuffle between the students and police. Police later dispersed the protesters. They also demanded the withdrawal of the increased fare of public transport, stopping the sitting service system, half fare for students and workers of different industries, issuance of a gazette notification over the half pass for students, ensuring justice over the death of Notre Dame College student Naeem Hasan and road safety.
The students have been staging demonstrations since November 18 demanding half fare in public transport for students.
The recent hike in transport fares following the rise in fuel prices and the death of a Notre Dame College student in a road accident caused by a Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) vehicle prompted the students to raise their voice against chaos in the transport sector.
They also claimed that no one has paid any heed to their demand though the students have been harassed in public buses.
The death of Notre Dame College student Naeem Hasan, who was killed in an accident in Gulistan area of the city on November 24, triggered the movement.
On November 20, students from two colleges vandalised 10-12 buses in Science Laboratory area demanding half fare in the city for students.
On November 18, hundreds of students of Dhaka College demonstrated outside their college to press home the same demand.
The government on November 3 raised the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk 15 per liter and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) increased the fares for intra-city and inter-district buses by 26.5% and 27% respectively following an indefinite strike by transport owners on November 7.
