Seven College Students Block Roads at Multiple Points in Capital, Severe Traffic Jam

Students of the seven colleges are staging protests by blocking roads at various points in the capital, including Technical Mor, Science Lab, Tantibazar, and Amtoli Mor in Mohakhali, demanding the issuance of the final ordinance to establish Dhaka Central University. As part of a pre-announced program, they blocked the roads on Wednesday (January 14).

On Tuesday night, a platform named “Seven Colleges University Transformation” announced the road blockade program.

It was learned that around 12:00 pm, students blocked Technical Mor, resulting in the suspension of traffic on three roads leading toward Gabtoli, Mirpur, and Kallyanpur. At the same time, students of Dhaka College blocked Science Lab Mor, bringing traffic to a halt at the four-way intersection. Simultaneously, students of Titumir College blocked the road at Amtoli in Mohakhali. In addition, students are protesting by blocking several roads in Old Dhaka.

Dhaka College student Abir Mahmud Robin said, “We, the students of the seven colleges, have taken to the streets together primarily for the date of the ordinance. We will leave the roads as soon as a specific date for the ordinance is announced.”

Meanwhile, traffic movement on the affected roads came to a standstill due to the blockade, creating severe traffic congestion. Commuters and drivers faced extreme suffering, and many were forced to walk to their destinations.

The protesters’ one-point demand is that at tomorrow’s (Thursday) meeting of the Advisory Council, the updated draft of the Dhaka Central University ordinance be approved along with the issuance of the final ordinance by the President. The students warned that their movement would continue if their demand is not met.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education said in a press release that the revised draft of the Dhaka Central University ordinance has been sent to the Ministry of Public Administration. The release added that the ordinance will be placed for final approval before the Advisory Council after obtaining policy approval from the Cabinet Division and vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division as soon as possible.

Classes for the 2024–25 academic year of the proposed Dhaka Central University formed by seven government colleges in the capital began on January 1.

There are differences of opinion among teachers and students regarding the structure of the proposed university, which includes Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College, Mirpur Government Bangla College, and Government Titumir College.