A protest by Govt Titumir College students in Mohakhali demanding university status has triggered severe traffic congestion across major areas in Dhaka, including Mohakhali, Banani, Amtoli and Gulshan, resulting in hundreds of vehicles remaining stranded and causing significant distress to the public.
Their blockade at the Mohakhali rail crossing and railway line on Monday halted train services between Dhaka and the rest of the country.
Additionally, several passengers, including children, were injured in an attack on the Upakul Express train by protesters in the morning.
The demonstrators also halted two trains in the Mohakhali area: the Agnibina Express heading to Tarakandi in Jamalpur and the Dhaka-bound Banalata Express from Chapainawabganj.
The students began their protest at around 11am. As time passed, the traffic congestion across the city continued to worsen, forcing hundreds of commuters to walk to their destinations.
Mumtaz Uddin, who brought her daughter to the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) in Mohakhali, shared her frustration saying it had taken them two hours to get to the hospital from Uttara.
“I am exhausted; imagine how my daughter must feel.”
Fahimur Rahman, stuck in his car in Mohakhali for nearly two hours, said people were doing whatever they wanted, and ordinary citizens were paying the price.
“I was on my way to an important meeting, and I have been stuck here for hours. This delay has cost me dearly, and leaving my car is not an option either.”
Banani police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Russel Sarwar said the protest had disrupted train services between Dhaka and the rest of the country, adding that traffic movement in Mohakhali, Banani and Jahangir Gate was entirely blocked.
“Severe traffic jams have formed on nearby roads as well. We have been in communication with the students, but they insist they will not leave until interim government advisers arrive,” the police officer said.
Md Shafiqul Islam, divisional railway manager, Dhaka, said the Upakul Express was attacked by protesters when it crossed the Mohakhali level crossing.
Due to the unrest, rail connectivity between Dhaka and other parts of the country remained suspended, he added.