Students pressing home for a three-point demand, including the Education Minister's resignation for his comments, left Science Lab intersection and were heading towards the Dhaka Education Board.
However, police blocked them upon reaching the Dhaka University VC Chattar area.
Meanwhile, traffic on the Dhanmandi–New Market road has returned to normal. Traffic is now flowing smoothly on Dhanmondi-New Market roads.
Students are demanding the Education Minister's resignation for his undesirable comments and the postponement of exams due to severe weather and flood conditions.
Visiting the spot at about 11:00am on Tuesday (July 14), it was found that students took up positions at the Science Lab intersection and blocked the roads on both sides from Dhanmondi to New Market. As a result, traffic came to a halt on both sides, creating a long traffic jam. Various vehicles, including buses, private cars, and CNG-run autorickshaws, were stranded, causing suffering to the general public.
Later, around 12:30pm, after ending the blockade program, the protesters left the road and gathered in front of Dhaka College with a procession. There, they held talks among them regarding the next course of action. A faction favored heading towards the Secretariat, while some proposed moving towards Shikhsha Bhaban, while others suggested going towards the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka, located in Bakshibazar. This led to disagreements among the protesters for some time.
After talks, a group of students left their position in front of Dhaka College. However, a larger group decided to march towards the Education Board and started a procession towards Bakshibazar through the Dhaka University campus.
According to reports, when the procession reached the Dhaka University VC Chattar area, police stopped them. There, the police were seen speaking with the protesters for some time.
Meanwhile, as students have lifted the blockade at the Science Lab intersection, traffic movement on the roads from Dhanmondi to New Market and New Market to Dhanmondi have begun to return to normal. Vehicles that were stuck for a long time are seen slowly heading towards their destinations, and traffic congestion in the surrounding areas is also easing.
The protesting students have stated that they will continue their program until they receive a specific assurance from the relevant authorities regarding their demands.
END/ASA
