Protests stall Dhaka for 3rd straight day

Students continue protests at deaths of fellows, block traffic at different points and demand safe roads

Traffic in the capital was paralysed for hours for the third consecutive day yesterday as thousands of students took to the streets to protest against the death of two fellows in an accident on Sunday. The agitators also torched two buses at Uttara and one near the Science Laboratory.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said those responsible for the deaths would be brought to justice. “I have talked to the parents of Diya, who was run over by a bus. I assured them that stern action would be taken against the bus driver and conductor. We have heard that the driver did not have a license and the bus too had a mechanical fault. We'll investigate the matter seriously,” the minister told reporters after visiting the family of one of the two victims.

“Law enforcement agencies have already seized the bus and also arrested the errant driver,” he added.

“Shipping minister Sajahan Khan is a labour leader. He has also sought justice for the victims and nobody would be able to influence the trial of the killers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters sources said that the torching of two buses of Ena Paribahan and Bushra Paribahan occurred at Jashimuddin Road in Uttara yesterday aftermoon. Several units of the fire service rushed to the spot to douse the fire. The agitating students pelted

brickbats at the fire service vehicles.

Students of different schools and colleges blocked the main thoroughfares of the capital including Tongi, Abdullahpur, Uttara, Mirpur, Kalshi, Gabtoli, Farmgate, Matijheel, Gulshan Natun Bazar and New Market to protest against the killing of the two students on Airport Road. The deaths had sparked violent protests on Monday and continued for the whole day yesterday.

Hundreds of students from different educational institutions, including Dhaka Commerce College, blocked the Mirpur-1 intersection around 10 am, disrupting vehicular movement for hours, resulting in severe traffic jams at Mirpur-1, 2, 10, 11, Kazipara and Shewrapara. The agitators demanded exemplary punishment for the driver who had killed the two Higher Secondary Certificate  

(HSC) students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin School and College, Diya Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib, on Sunday.

Similarly, hundreds of students from several colleges, including Tejgaon College and Government Science College, in Farmgate area agitated on the street in front of Babul Tower, which is one of the busiest roads in the capital. A huge police force was deployed in the troubled areas to avert any untoward incident.

Hundreds of students from Dhaka College, Dhanmondi Ideal College, City College, and Government Laboratory College took to the streets at Science Laboratory intersection in the morning. They blocked the streets for hours, halting vehicular movement and forcing passengers to walk to their destinations.

The agitators finally left around 2 pm.

Assistant commissioner of traffic police (Dhanmondi Zone), Akram Hossain, told the media that a protest by students at the Kantaban-Bata Signal intersection disrupted vehicular movement from Dhanmondi to Shahbag. All the vehicles had to take a detour from Panthapath to reach their destinations, he added.

Students of different schools and colleges blocked Rampura Bridge, while their counterparts from Habibullah Bahar College took position at the Shantinagar intersection. Students also came out to the streets at Agargaon area.

Hundreds of students of Notre Dame College came out of their educational institution around noon and gathered at Shapla Chattar in Matijheel. They students chanted slogans about receiving justice. Vehicular movement was disrupted at Shapla Chattar, which is the connecting hub for traffic movement to Jatrabari, Paltan, Shahbagh and Malibagh.

At least 60-70 students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin College wearing black badges tried to hold a human chain in front of Hotel Radisson in the morning, but police did not allow it. Students also blocked the road for about half an hour starting from 12.30 pm at Nabisco intersection in Tejgaon, said Rezaul Islam, sub-inspector of Tejgaon industrial police station.

Also yesterday, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) demanded the enforcement of stern laws to stop anarchy in road transport management.

TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said: “The road transport sector is beset with complexities and irregularities due to the negligence of the persons concerned, lack of stern enforcement of law, lack of good governance and syndicate activities.”

The transport sector was a hostage in the hands of owners’ associations and road transport workers’ federations, and ministers, he added.

Cashing in on this situation, a group of profit-mongering owners were handing over their vehicles to unskilled drivers without licences, resulting in road accidents, he said.

Protests stall Dhaka for 3rd straight day

Students continue protests at deaths of fellows, block traffic at different points and demand safe roads

Traffic in the capital was paralysed for hours for the third consecutive day yesterday as thousands of students took to the streets to protest against the death of two fellows in an accident on Sunday. The agitators also torched two buses at Uttara and one near the Science Laboratory. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said those responsible for the deaths would be brought to justice. I have talked to the parents of Diya, who was run over by a bus. I assured them that stern action would be taken against the bus driver and conductor. We have heard that the driver did not have a license and the bus too had a mechanical fault. Well investigate the matter seriously, the minister told reporters after visiting the family of one of the two victims. Law enforcement agencies have already seized the bus and also arrested the errant driver, he added. Shipping minister Sajahan Khan is a labour leader. He has also sought justice for the victims and nobody would be able to influence the trial of the killers, he said. Meanwhile, Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters sources said that the torching of two buses of Ena Paribahan and Bushra Paribahan occurred at Jashimuddin Road in Uttara yesterday aftermoon. Several units of the fire service rushed to the spot to douse the fire. The agitating students pelted brickbats at the fire service vehicles. Students of different schools and colleges blocked the main thoroughfares of the capital including Tongi, Abdullahpur, Uttara, Mirpur, Kalshi, Gabtoli, Farmgate, Matijheel, Gulshan Natun Bazar and New Market to protest against the killing of the two students on Airport Road. The deaths had sparked violent protests on Monday and continued for the whole day yesterday. Hundreds of students from different educational institutions, including Dhaka Commerce College, blocked the Mirpur-1 intersection around 10 am, disrupting vehicular movement for hours, resulting in severe traffic jams at Mirpur-1, 2, 10, 11, Kazipara and Shewrapara. The agitators demanded exemplary punishment for the driver who had killed the two Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin School and College, Diya Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib, on Sunday. Similarly, hundreds of students from several colleges, including Tejgaon College and Government Science College, in Farmgate area agitated on the street in front of Babul Tower, which is one of the busiest roads in the capital. A huge police force was deployed in the troubled areas to avert any untoward incident. Hundreds of students from Dhaka College, Dhanmondi Ideal College, City College, and Government Laboratory College took to the streets at Science Laboratory intersection in the morning. They blocked the streets for hours, halting vehicular movement and forcing passengers to walk to their destinations. The agitators finally left around 2 pm. Assistant commissioner of traffic police (Dhanmondi Zone), Akram Hossain, told the media that a protest by students at the Kantaban-Bata Signal intersection disrupted vehicular movement from Dhanmondi to Shahbag. All the vehicles had to take a detour from Panthapath to reach their destinations, he added. Students of different schools and colleges blocked Rampura Bridge, while their counterparts from Habibullah Bahar College took position at the Shantinagar intersection. Students also came out to the streets at Agargaon area. Hundreds of students of Notre Dame College came out of their educational institution around noon and gathered at Shapla Chattar in Matijheel. They students chanted slogans about receiving justice. Vehicular movement was disrupted at Shapla Chattar, which is the connecting hub for traffic movement to Jatrabari, Paltan, Shahbagh and Malibagh. At least 60-70 students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin College wearing black badges tried to hold a human chain in front of Hotel Radisson in the morning, but police did not allow it. Students also blocked the road for about half an hour starting from 12.30 pm at Nabisco intersection in Tejgaon, said Rezaul Islam, sub-inspector of Tejgaon industrial police station. Also yesterday, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) demanded the enforcement of stern laws to stop anarchy in road transport management. TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said: The road transport sector is beset with complexities and irregularities due to the negligence of the persons concerned, lack of stern enforcement of law, lack of good governance and syndicate activities. The transport sector was a hostage in the hands of owners associations and road transport workers federations, and ministers, he added. Cashing in on this situation, a group of profit-mongering owners were handing over their vehicles to unskilled drivers without licences, resulting in road accidents, he said.