Students from seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University on Wednesday organized a second day of blockade at the Science Lab intersection, demanding the formation of a commission to establish an independent university for their institutions, causing traffic disruptions in the area.
As previously announced, the students gathered at around 11am, marching from Dhaka College to hold their blockade at the busy intersection.
The protesters said they would continue blocking the area until the government announced the formation of a commission.
Due to the blockade, traffic around the Science Lab intersection was halted, causing disruptions for commuters.
Abdur Rahman, a Dhaka College student and focal person for the protests, said the establishment of an independent university was the only solution to the crisis the seven colleges were facing.
“We issued a 24-hour ultimatum yesterday, but the authorities ignored our demands, prompting us to resume our blockade today. We will continue until our demands are met.”
Previously, students of the seven colleges blocked the Science Lab intersection for three days with a three-point charter of demands. Their demands are as follows:
- The immediate formation of a commission for a university specifically for the seven colleges.
- This commission should prepare a roadmap within 30 days by examining various issues.
- The establishment of an independent university must not create academic delays; DU should continue overseeing the colleges to prevent session backlogs until the new university is formed.
