Students of Dhaka City College have blocked Mirpur road demanding their exam center for Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) to be changed.
A huge gridlock was created in New Market, Science Lab and Elephant Road areas due to the blockade. A significant number of city dwellers were seen getting off the buses and rickshaws and walking to reach their destinations.
Witnesses and police say, hundred of students of the institute blockaded the road around 1pm yesterday.
The agitating students said they sat for the exam at Government Laboratory School last year but this year it has been changed and fixed at Residential Model School and College.
Science section students Pavel, Jahid and Emon said they want their exam center near to their college.
“We live in nearby areas of our college but the exam center is too far from here, that would take time to reach and it would hamper our study during exam,” they said.
The students said when they met their college principal with the issue, he had sought time to look into the matter but nothing has happened so far.
They also said they would not go back until their demands are met.
Md Shahjahan Khan, principal of Dhaka City College, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are trying to change the exam centres by holding talks with board controller and authorities concerned. We have asked the students to go back home and take preparation for exam.”
Nure Azam Miah, officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that police reached the spot and were trying to pacify the students.
Finally the students were removed from the city street around 8.30pm yesterday, he added.
Eyewitnesses said the students vandalised some vehicles while they were being forced to withdraw from the street.