Road blocked as bus workers beat up Ruet student

6 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Rajshahi

Students of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology demonstrate blocking the road near the main gate of the institution yesterday protesting torture on a student by transport workers. PHOTO: STAR

Students of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet) yesterday barricaded the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway as bus workers beat up a student the previous night. The agitating students damaged a Dhaka bound coach of Modern Enterprise during the barricade from 9:30am to 1.30pm while the bus workers assaulted Quamrul Hasan, a passenger of the coach for supporting the students. The students were demanding punishment to the persons responsible for beating up Abdur Razzak, a civil department student and fixing of reasonable bus for students on all routes from Rajshahi. According to students and police, Razzak scuffled with the staff of a bus of Paradise Enterprise on Saturday night as the conductor demanded 'excess' fare while he was traveling to Rajshahi from Rangpur. As sequel to the scuffle, the bus conductor refused to drop Razzak in front of Ruet main gate. They took him to Rajshahi bus terminal and beat him up there mercilessly, alleged the students. They claimed the bus workers also snatched away Tk 5000 and an expensive mobile phone from Razzak. The next morning, the Ruet students, mostly from civil department, barricaded the highway in front of the Ruet main gate to protest the assault. During the sit-in on the highway they damaged window panes of a coach with sticks and hurled brickbats at other vehicles. As Quamrul Hasan, a passenger of the coach shouted at the bus driver for ignoring the students' demonstration, workers took him to the terminal and beat him up there. A huge number of police forces were deployed at the scene as tension mounted at noon when bus workers started gathering at Talaimari to protest 'misbehavior' of students. The students withdrew the barricade at 1:30pm after Ruet administration and senior police officials assured them of justice following a meeting with the bus owners and workers on the campus, said Tariqul Islam, an assistant commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police. The students, however, threatened to go for tougher movement if their demands were not met within 24 hours.