Students are protesting by blocking roads at several places in the capital demanding the implementation of the proposed Dhaka Central University, which will be a combination of seven colleges. The common people are suffering due to this.

Students blocked Science Lab, Technical Intersection, Tantibazar Intersection, Mohakhali and Farmgate roads in the capital from 12 noon on Wednesday (January 14).

The protesting students demand that the ‘Dhaka Central University Act 2025’ be approved at the interim government’s advisory council meeting to be held tomorrow (January 15) and at the same time, a final ordinance be issued by the President.

Police say the blockade has caused severe traffic congestion on those roads. The common people are suffering. Additional police personnel have been deployed to keep the roads normal.

Tantibazar blockade
Lalbagh Zone Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADC) Md. Aminul Kabir Tarafdar told Morning Herald that students of Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam College and Suhrawardy College blocked Tantibazar intersection in Old Dhaka from 11:30 am. Additional police have been deployed at the scene. As a result of the blockade, no vehicles are able to move.

From 12:10 pm, Bangla College students blocked the Technical Intersection and took up their positions. During this time, they raised various slogans including ‘Central Central’, ‘Golami na Azadi, Azadi na Azadi’, ‘Dalali na Rajpath’, ‘Apos na Sangram’, ‘Education nai syndicate’, ‘Stop the excuses, issue an ordinance’.

Technical intersection blockade
When asked about the blockade of the technical intersection, Assistant Police Commissioner of Darussalam Zone of Mirpur Division, Imdad Hossain Bipul told Morning Herald that due to the road blockade by Bangla College students, no vehicles are plying on Gabtoli, Technical intersection, Mirpur road. As a result, severe traffic jam has been created. The police have requested the students to move away from the main road.

Science Lab Blockade
Students of Dhaka College, Eden Women’s College and Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College blocked the Science Lab intersection, the busiest road in the capital, at around 1 pm. During this time, all types of vehicles moving from Science Lab to New Market, Shahbagh and Dhanmondi roads were blocked. The students raised various slogans demanding the implementation of Dhaka Central University. Additional police have been deployed at the scene to move away from the main road.

Meanwhile, after the elevated expressway, students have also blocked the capital’s busiest Farmgate intersection, demanding justice for the murder of classmate Sakibul and the speedy arrest of the accused. This has brought traffic to a standstill on both these important roads .

On Wednesday (January 14) at around 12:15 pm, the students first blocked the section of the elevated expressway towards Farmgate Khamarbari. Later, they also blocked the Farmgate intersection around 12:30 pm.

The protesting students said that more than a month after Shakib’s murder, there is still no visible judicial progress. They will not leave the streets until the killers are quickly arrested and given exemplary punishment. During the blockade, they were seen chanting slogans including ‘My brother is in the grave, why is the murderer out’ and ‘My brother’s blood cannot be wasted.’

Mohakhali blockade
Students of Government Titumir College blocked Mohakhali intersection in the capital demanding the implementation of the proposed Dhaka Central University, which will be a combination of seven colleges. The blockade lasted for fifteen minutes. Later, the road was normalized with the help of the police. Police said that traffic is currently normal.

In this regard, Additional Police Commissioner (ADC) of Traffic Gulshan Zone Ziaur Rahman Zia told Morning Herald that the students blocked the road for about 15 minutes. Currently, the road is normal.

A press release sent to the media on Tuesday said that the draft of the ‘Dhaka Central University Act-2025’, which aims to establish Dhaka Central University by merging seven colleges, was published on the website of the Secondary and Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education on September 24 last year. After the publication of the draft, discussions and debates began on the pros and cons of the bill, and the Ministry of Education organized several consultation meetings with all relevant stakeholders.

The students claim that the Ministry of Education updated the draft based on the feedback received after discussions with stakeholders. The last meeting between the Ministry of Education and the students was held on December 7 and 8 during the sit-in program in front of the Education Building. In that meeting, the students were assured that the ancillary activities would be completed by December and the ordinance would be issued in early January.

The release further said that a source has informed that a meeting of the advisory council of the interim government is likely to be held on January 15. The students want the updated draft of the Dhaka Central University Act-2025 to be approved in that meeting and at the same time the final ordinance to be issued by the President.