Students of Barisal University blocked the Dhaka-Barisal highway on Thursday afternoon demanding reform in the quota system in public service.
The students gathered on the highway adjacent to the university gate around 4 pm amid presence of huge number of police.
A large number of police took position there in the morning.
As the number of protesting students increased, the police retreated.
The road communication of Barishal with the rest of the country was halted due to the blockade. Hundreds of vehicles were stuck on both sides of the highway, creating extreme public suffering.
Passengers were seen walking several kilometers to reach their destinations.
The agitated students said that any kind of discrimination will not be accepted by maintaining the quota system in Bangabandhu's Sonar Bangla.