The fifth consecutive day of protest by private university students demanding withdrawal of 7.5% VAT on their tuition fees yesterday caused untold sufferings to city commuters.
The protest earned public support from the moral point of view, commuters said the protest could have been designed in a better way taking into consideration the sufferings of people.
However, the transport workers lauded the way agitated students demonstrated saying that private university students were better as they did not vandalise vehicles during their protest.
Rashed (not real name) tried to commit suicide for his failure in the examination yesterday around 1pm at Segunbagicha.
His worried family members took him to Samorita Hospital immediately.
The journey took them two hours more than it usually does. Doctors said a little more delay might have taken his life.
Mahabub Zaman, a businessman of Banani, supported the protest from the moral point of view but said no one cared about their sufferings.
He said whatever happens in the city the ultimate sufferers are general people.
“Nobody cares about public sufferings in the city,” said Jamal, who was going to Gazipur to attend a job interview.
He said all his efforts were about to go in vain. However, he sided with the protesters saying the demand of private university students is a just one but unfortunately it had affected him.
Police said vehicular movement on the roads from Abdullahpur to Uttara, from Dhanmondi to Mirpur and from Kuril Biswa Road to Malibagh, Farmgate to Karwan Bazar, City College intersection to Sat Rasta intersection, Panthapath to Science Lab intersection and Gulshan to Mohakhali came to a standstill, slowing down the overall city traffic.
Agitating students, however, left the streets between 4:30pm and 6pm.
Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Abdul Baten said the students had left the streets as police persuaded them to do so.
Police yesterday did not try to disperse the agitating students; rather, they were found requesting commuters to use alternative ways.
Bonoj Kumar Majumder, Joint Commissioner of DMP Traffic, said although the students took to the streets around 10:30am vehicular movement was hampered immediately after 12 noon.
