Students of five private universities in Chittagong city have blockaded road at WASA intersection in the city for two hours demanding immediate withdrawal of 7.5% VAT imposed on their education fees.
Following the blockade, vehicular movement got stranded on the both sides of road while city commuters were suffered untold suffering.
Around 1,000 students from Premier University, BGC Trust University, International Islamic University in Chittagong, East Delta University and Southern University, carrying anti-VAT placards and posters, took to the street at CWASA intersection at around 11:30am under the banner of “Private Universities Students, Chittagong”.
The students alleged the VAT imposed on the private university, the students have to pay extra money or the university administration would release the money from the students showing different perspectives.
“We are united on the issue and we won’t pay any VAT along with our tuition fees while we are ready to push the government hard to revocation the VAT decision”, said Suvojit, a of Premier University student.
After two hours later the demonstrating students lifted their blockade from one of the key point in the city at around 1:30pm after police requested them to leave the spot, said Assistant Commissioner (Kotwali Circle) Md Moinuddin of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP).
The two hours long demonstration, however, took heavy toll from the office goers and home going school, college students while the traffic movement were halted at several important roads.
People were forced to walk to reach their desired destination while the patient carrying ambulances were the worst sufferer of the deadlock.
Meanwhile, the traffic congestion had spread across the city and traffic division had faced difficulties to clear the roads.
