A group of students blocked the Rangpur-Dhaka highway for about an hour on Wednesday afternoon, demanding the appointment of an adviser to the interim government from the Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions.
The protest began around 12:30pm when the students brought out a procession from Rangpur's Lalbagh area and marched through Modern Mor before blocking the highway.
The protesters, part of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, called for the inclusion of qualified individuals from North Bengal in the government's Advisory Council.
They expressed dissatisfaction with the recent adviser appointments, which they described as discriminatory.
They demanded appointment of Akhtar Hossain, a former Social Services Secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) and the current Member Secretary of the National Citizen Committee, as an Adviser.
Chanting slogans such as "End discrimination" and "We want Akhtar Hossain as adviser," the students voiced their frustration over what they see as regional bias in the government's appointments.
Key figures in the movement, including Rangpur-based coordinators Imran Ahmed, Ashfaq Ahmed, Nahid Hasan Khandker, Imtiaz Ahmed, Yasir Arafat, Saiful Islam and Shariful Islam, were among the protesters.
The student movement had issued an ultimatum on November 11, threatening to launch a "North Bengal Blockade" if their demands were not addressed.
Akhtar Hossain and Sarjis Alam, prominent leaders of the movement, have previously called on the Chief Adviser to ensure that at least ten representatives from North Bengal are included in the Advisory Council.
During Wednesday's demonstration, the speakers criticized the interim government for allegedly marginalizing the Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, noting that 13 of the advisers are from Chattogram, the region of the Chief Adviser.
Protesters warned that continued regional disparity in appointments would heighten tensions in the country.
