Students of Dhaka University (DU) have called off their protest at the Shahbagh intersection which began early Wednesday to press home their four-point demand, starting with the disassociation of 7 affiliated colleges with the university.
The protest was called off around 2pm Wednesday with an announcement to block the Shahbagh roundabout on Thursday as well and called for boycotting all classes and examinations until their demands are met.
At the start of the protest, more than 500 students gathered at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture around 11am followed by a procession brought to the Shahbagh intersection around 12pm to get their demands met by the university authority.
Severe traffic deadlocks due to protest of Dhaka University students at Shahbag intersection on July, 17, 2019 |Mizanur Rahman/Dhaka TribuneVehicular movement at the adjacent roads came to a halt during the protest, causing severe traffic gridlocks in the area.
People heading towards the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), and BIRDEM General Hospital were seen stuck in long tailbacks as the rest walked to their destinations in this scorching heat.
"This affiliation has created an unfavourable situation for both DU and students of the seven colleges," Rupak Ahmed, a first-year student of DU’s political science department, told Dhaka Tribune during the protests.
"We seek relief from this unwanted trouble," he added.
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Apart from disassociating the seven educational institutes, the agitated DU students also demanded automation of the university's administrative and academic activities; controlling external vehicles movement inside the university campus and fixing rickshaw fares.
Earlier on Tuesday, students of DU-affiliated college students staged a protest at the Nilkhet-New Market intersection to realize their 4-point demand.
On February 17, 2017, the government affiliated Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Mohila College, Mirpur Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College with Dhaka University.