Students of seven colleges affiliated to Dhaka University again blocked Science Lab Intersection in the capital, demanding the formation of an independent university for their institutions.
The demonstration caused heavy traffic congestion on nearby roads.
Blockade was lifted at 5:00pm, and the protesters announced fresh blockade from 9 to 5 today.
Around 11am on Tuesday, they gathered inside Dhaka College and brought out a procession and later took position at Science Lab, blocking traffic movement in and around the intersection.
Afzal Rakib Hossain, a student in the Department of English at Dhaka College, said that they had been calling for an independent university for a long time but the administration has not paid any heed to their demands. "The administration said they would form a commission on the matter, but they haven't done so. We will leave the road once a commission is formed."
The student also called for the scrapping of the committee formed by the administration.
Mirpur Road is one of the thoroughfares which is seeing heavy traffic due to the demonstration. Some passengers are getting off their buses and walking to their destinations amid the gridlock. Others are turning their vehicles around and trying to find alternate routes.
Deputy Inspector Kamal Hossain of New Market Police Station said that protesters have been urged to leave the road in order to minimise public sufferings.
The education ministry has formed a commission without taking any initiative for open a separate university for the protesters. We rejected this commission. Their demands also include the immediate formation of a commission to establish a university for the seven affiliated colleges, a draft proposal from the commission within 30 days, and assurance from Dhaka University that there will be no session jams until the new university is established.
"We had been demanding a separate university for seven colleges which is affiliated with Dhaka University. We have been suffering academically and fall into session jam. Earlier, we demanded for solving the problems. However, from now on, we are demanding cancellation of affiliation with DU. We urged the authorities and the government to take immediate decision in this regard," Nayim Hawlader, said a student of Dhaka College and one of the organisers of the movement.
