Protests, blockades paralyse the capital

Dhaka experienced severe traffic congestion for at least five hours yesterday due to protests and blockades at key points, causing immense suffering for commuters throughout the day.

Students of Tejgaon College blocked the Farmgate area, demanding justice for their fellow student, while students of seven colleges blocked Science Lab, Technical Intersection and Tanti Bazar in Old Dhaka, demanding the issuance of an ordinance for Dhaka Central University.

The seven college students threatened to continue their blockade for an indefinite period until the government issued the ordinance.

The protests brought several parts of the capital to a standstill, forcing many to walk for kilometres.

Police attempted to divert vehicles to alternative routes, but the move had little impact, leaving vehicles and passengers stranded on the roads for several hours.

An ordinary workday turned into an ordeal for thousands of commuters. Buses stood motionless while passengers, tired and frustrated, waited with no clear idea of when the roads would reopen.

Many parents were seen dragging exhausted children through congested streets, some even leaving their personal vehicles.

Tejgaon College students blocked the Farmgate area, demanding justice for their fellow student, while students of seven colleges blocked Science Lab, Technical Intersection, and Tanti Bazar, demanding the issuance of an ordinance for Dhaka Central University.

On the Facebook group, Traffic Alert, users warned others about roads to avoid and shared photos and videos of gridlock from different parts of the capital.

Many took to social media to find out whether it was wise to travel inside the city.

At Farmgate, students of Tejgaon College blocked one of the busiest intersections, demanding justice for their peer, Sakibul Hasan Rana, who died on December 10, four days after sustaining injuries in a dormitory attack.

The blockade began around 11:15am, with the students chanting slogans demanding the arrest of all the killers.

Rana, 18, died around noon on December 10 while undergoing treatment at a Moghbazar hospital.

CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Abdul Hamid said he left Sayedabad with passengers for Mirpur-1 at 12:30pm.

After reaching Shahbagh, he got stuck in a severe traffic jam. It took him three hours to travel from Shahbagh to Farmgate, he said.

“With traffic like this, I don’t even know if I can earn enough to pay today’s CNG deposit,” Hamid said.

Jahangir Alam, 55, a resident of Chandra in Gazipur, spoke to this correspondent at 4:15pm at Farmgate.

He said he had gone to Banglamotor for some work. After finishing, he boarded a bus to return home. However, it took him over half an hour to move just 100 to 150 yards from Banglamotor.

“As I heard that students had blocked roads in the Farmgate area, I got off the bus and walked to Farmgate. I will get on the bus again if I get the road free,” he said.

As the students withdrew the blockade around 4:30pm, traffic started moving at a snail’s pace.

Meanwhile, students of Dhaka College and Eden Mohila College blocked the Science Lab intersection around 12:30pm, demanding the issuance of an ordinance for Dhaka Central University.

They first gathered on their campuses and later marched towards Science Lab. Vehicular movement in the area came to a halt.

Talking to The Daily Star at Science Lab, a woman said she was forced to get off the bus at Matsya Bhaban and walk to visit a patient at a hospital in Dhanmondi.

The students withdrew their blockade around 5:45pm. Before leaving the Science Lab area, they held a press conference, where they said they would block the three key points again today.

Students of Government Bangla College blocked the Technical Intersection around 12:00pm with the same demand. The students left the area around 3:30pm, according to SM Jakaria, officer-in-charge of Darussalam Police Station.

The traffic situation in the area worsened as a result, he added.

Students of Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College and Kabi Nazrul Government College blocked the Tanti Bazar area around 11:15am, creating a huge tailback in Old Dhaka.

The students left the area around 2:15pm, said AKM Mahfuzul Haque, officer-in-charge of Bangshal Police Station.