Students of Titumir College blocked the Mohakhali-Gulshan road to demand the transformation of their institution into an independent university for the fifth day on Monday.
The protest, which started around noon, involved blocking the Gulshan Link Road by placing bamboo on the road, halting traffic on both sides of the busy route.
Around 12:20pm, over fifty students gathered and blocked the road, stating that they would extend their protests to other roads if their demands were not met. "We have blocked the Link Road today. Soon, other areas will also be blocked," said a spokesperson for the protesters.
This protest follows a similar demonstration on Sunday when students blocked the Amtoli intersection of the Mohakhali-Gulshan road to demand state recognition for Titumir College as a university.
The protest caused significant traffic disruption on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. After about an hour and a half, the students moved to the college gate to continue their demonstration.
Earlier, Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud responded to the students' demand after the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting, saying that no decision would be made under the pressure of a deadline. He also argued that setting a timeline for university status was not a reasonable demand.
Meanwhile, around ten students have been on hunger strike in front of the college gate for the past five days in support of the movement.
Mainuddin, a Master's student in the Economics Department, shared that three of the fasting students had been hospitalized, while the rest were being treated with saline at the site.
