Students of the Government Titumir College have blocked the Gulshan-1 Gol Chattar in the capital, demanding the conversion of the college into a university and fulfilling their seven-point demand.
The students began their protest around 6:45pm on Saturday.
One of the protesters, Zahid Rana, a master's student in the Department of Management at Titumir College, said: "We have been protesting for the recognition of Titumir University and other seven demands. My fellow students are on hunger strike, but the administration is not giving any attention. Therefore, as previously announced, we have blocked the road here."
When asked how long they would block the road, he said: "Our protest will continue until the concerned authorities come and resolve the issue."
The protesting students were heard chanting various slogans, including, “Action to Action, Direct Action,” “We Want Justice,” “Compromise or Struggle? Struggle, Struggle,” “Titumir is Coming, the Streets Are Shaking,” and “Break the Administration’s Syndicate,” among others.
Meanwhile, the road blockade has caused severe traffic jams in Gulshan, Badda, Mohakhali, and Tejgaon areas for the third consecutive day.
This has created considerable inconvenience for commuters, particularly office-goers, who have to wait for a long time in traffic.
Previously, as part of their indefinite "Barasat Barricade to North City" campaign, the students had blocked the road in Mohakhali after a march from the campus.
After staying there for a while, they returned to the college and then left for the Gulshan-1 Gol Chattar around 6:15pm.
At the scene, a large number of police, including water cannons, were present to handle any unpleasant situation.
Police officers present at the scene said that they were prepared to maintain law and order.
Earlier, since Thursday, some students of Titumir College have been on hunger strike in front of the main gate of the campus.
As of the latest update, 12 students are on hunger strike.
Six of them have been hospitalized, including two who were admitted on Saturday.
The Ministry of Education has issued a statement regarding the ongoing movement.
It said that the government is aware of the movement and that a special expert committee, led by the chairman of the UGC, is working to form a separate university by consolidating seven historic colleges, including Titumir College.
The matter of Titumir College is being given special consideration, the statement added.
