Anti-Quota ProtestPublic suffering mounts as protests halt transportation

The suffering of commuters in Dhaka city reached its peak on Wednesday as students protesting against the quota system in government jobs blocked railroads and streets in the capital.

Vehicle movement came to a halt on major thoroughfares, including Pragati Sarani, Bijoy Sarani and Satrasta as well as at different entry and exit points of the capital.

Patients suffered the most due to the students’ blockade programme as vehicles carrying them could not reach Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, along with hospitals located in Agargaon and other areas.

Due to the anti-quota students’ “Bangla Blockade”, thousands of commuters were seen waiting for buses on both sides of major roads in the city while some were seen walking along the footpaths to reach their destinations.

Commuters were also seen waiting for trains at Dhaka Railway Station in Kamalapur area as students staging protests in Tejgaon area hampered train movement.

Railway officials said the inbound and outbound train operations were suspended from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Wednesday.

Wishing anonymity, a top official of Bangladesh Railway, “Due to the blockade, the operation of Agnibina Express running from Dhaka to Tarakandi has been cancelled while schedules of at least four intercity trains were disrupted.”

Officer-in-charge of Dhaka Railway Police Station Ferdous Ahmed Biswas said the students put up barricades on the level crossing near Karwan Bazar around 11:00 am, disrupting the train communication.

Students of Kabi Nazrul Government College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College and Jagannath University blocked the road from Zero point to Tantibazar Mor, barring movement of vehicles.

Sohag Mia, a truck driver who was stuck in the Baitul Mukarram area where students of Jagannath University were staging demonstrations, said that he was stranded there for several hours.

Around 4:30 PM, he said, “I will go to the airport but protesters stopped my vehicle. I have been stuck here since 3:00 am. I do not know when I can move from this place as students do not seem to be leaving the area.”

Students of Dhaka University, Dhaka College and Eden Mohila College blocked roads at Shahbagh, Farmgate, Science Lab, and new market intersections, barring all traffic movement.

Ashiq Hossain, a passerby in Shahbagh at 2:30 pm, said, “I have to go to a bank in Motijheel, but vehicles are not allowed to cross Science Lab intersections. Now, I have to walk to reach my destination.”

He said the crisis should be resolved soon as commuters in Dhaka have been suffering immensely due to the students’ protests.

Students of East West University and others educational intuitions demonstrated in Rampura Bridge, Badda and some other areas, halting traffic movement in the Demra, Banasree and Airport areas.

Monir Hossain, an employee of a private company, said he had to walk all the way from Rampura Bridge to Kuril for the blockade.

“I could reach the Rampura area by bus. There I had to get down from the bus and walk all the way to my office in Kuril as there was no vehicle,” he said.

He also said the journey took him two hours longer than the usual time of one hour.

Students of Jahangirnagar University blocked Dhaka-Aricha highway and staged demonstrations seeking revocation of the quota system in government jobs. As a result, vehicles moving to and from Dhaka got stuck on the roads.