UNB, Dhaka: Students of various private universities are staging demonstrations in different parts of the city on Thursday protesting the imposition of VAT on the tuition fees, virtually halting the traffic system across the city. In Dhanmondi, students of Stamford University, Daffodil University have been staging demonstrations oo the streets on Dhanmondi no 27 road protesting the government’s move to impose 7.5 percent VAT on the tuition fees of the private universities since morning. Vehicular movement from Asadgate crossing to Sukrabad crossing, Science Laboratory crossing came to a halt due to the demonstrations. In Uttara, students of several universities, including Uttara University and Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology took to the street in front of North Tower at about 11am. Traffic on both sides of the Airport-Tongi road came to a halt. At Rampura Bridge, several hundred students of East West University (EWU) brought out a possession on the road in front of the main gate of the university in Aftabnagar around 11:30am, halting transport movement through the bridge. In Bashundhara, vehicular movement on the Kuril Biswa Road in the city was disrupted as students of North South University (NSU) blocked the road protesting the imposition of VAT on the tuition fees of the private universities. In Mohakhali, students of BRAC University staged demonstration on the Gulshan 1-Mohakhali road around 10:15 am. They chanted slogans against the VAT imposition on tuition fees, reports our correspondent from the spot. Deputy Commissioner (media) of DMP Muntasirul Islam police have been trying to control the situation with patience. On Wednesday, a clash took place between police and the EWU students when the latter were staging demonstration in front of their university near Rampura Bridge around 2pm protesting the government’s move to impose 7.5 percent VAT on the tuition fees of the private universities. The clash left at least 10-15 people injured. Earlier on July 4, the NBR issued a notification imposing 7.5 percent VAT (Valued added tax) on the tuition fees of the private universities and medical colleges.
