United News of Bangladesh

The capital’s Satrastha intersection turned chaotic again on Wednesday as polytechnic students staged protests over a perceived deepening crisis in technical education and diminishing roles for engineers in the job market. Students from government and private polytechnic institutes, technical schools and colleges (TSC) and other institutions under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board blocked the busy intersection to press their six-point demand. The blockade caused severe traffic congestion in Satrastha and surrounding areas, leaving office-goers and commuters stranded. Many were seen walking to their destinations as vehicles inched forward. The students alleged that an influential group is deliberately undermining technical education to weaken the polytechnic system and restrict access to the engineering profession. They also accused authorities of discriminating against polytechnic graduates in employment and higher education opportunities. Polytechnic students call nationwide rail blockade Thursday to press 6-point demands “A powerful syndicate has captured the technical education system. They are closing our paths. We will not tolerate this injustice anymore,” said one protester, adding that demonstrations would continue until their demands are met. Tejgaon Industrial Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Aslam Hossain said the students occupied Satrastha around 10:30am, reiterating the same demands raised in their previous protests. “Police are closely monitoring the situation to maintain law and order,” he added. The six demands are giving due recognition to technical education, ensuring equal opportunities for polytechnic graduates in the engineering profession, stopping recruitment barriers through syndicates, eliminating discrimination in higher education, extending government facilities to private polytechnic students, and integrating technical education as a key pillar of the national development policy. At the time of filing this report, students were still demonstrating peacefully at the intersection, although vehicular movement remained suspended, bringing the area to a standstill.

Traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was disrupted for nearly an hour on Wednesday morning after workers of a garment factory blocked the road demanding their August salaries. Around 150-200 workers of Bulbul Knitting and Sewing Ltd staged the protest at Dighirpar in Bason area around 7 am, halting vehicular movement, witnesses said. The workers alleged that their August salaries, due by September 10, had not been paid, prompting the demonstration. Nursing students block road in Gazipur A team from the Industrial Police and Bason Police Station rushed to the scene and tried to disperse the protesters. Traffic resumed around 8 am after the workers left the road following assurances from the police, said Md Shaheen Khan, Officer-in-Charge of Bason Police Station.

A group of students from United International University (UIU) blocked the main road in the capital’s Bhatara Natun Bazar area on Saturday morning, protesting the expulsion of 26 final-year honours students. As a result of the blockade, vehicular movement from Kuril Bishwa Road towards Badda remained halted on one side of the road.  But, traffic in the opposite direction—from Badda to Kuril Bishwa Road—remains unaffected. Talking to UNB, officer-in-charge of Bhatara Police Station, Rakibul Hasan, said around 25 to 30 students occupied the road after 8am, demanding the withdrawal of the expulsion orders. According to the OC, the university expelled the students after they received very low marks in their final honours examinations, raising concerns that they might not be able to pass in future attempts. The protesting students claim the expulsions were arbitrary and are calling for both the withdrawal of the decision and administrative action against the university authorities. Law enforcement officials are currently monitoring the situation.  

Vehicular movement from Mohakhali to Gulshan-1 remained suspended for three hours since Thursday noon as several hundred students of Titumir College put up barricades on the road in front of their college demanding university status of their college. Witnesses said some 250 students of the college took to the street at noon and chanted slogans to press home their several demands including university status. Commuters were facing difficulties to go to their respective destinations due to the blockade. Bus strike hits commuters hard in Barishal Russel Sarwar, officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station, said additional police were deployed to avert further trouble. Amid demonstrations by student of seven colleges including Titumir College, DU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Neaz Ahmad Khan announced that Dhaka University’s affiliation with seven government colleges will be cancelled from the 2024-25 academic session. The Vice Chancellor made the announcement after an emergency meeting with principals of the affiliated colleges at the VC’s office on Monday.

Students of seven government colleges affiliated to Dhaka University blocked the Nilkhet intersection on Saturday morning in protest against the government's decision to suspend exams. Over 100 students took to the streets around 9am and staged demonstrations for nearly two hours, disrupting morning rush-hour traffic in the busy area. A student, who did not wish to be named, told UNB that they were not intimated about the suspension of their exams earlier and they came to know about the same only after reaching the test centers. After staging their protest till 11am, the students went to the Dhaka University campus to meet the controller of exams. Later they went to meet the Eden College authorities at the controller's request. READ: Job seekers block city roads demanding extension of age limit for govt job Government Bangla College student Rabeya said, "We blocked the busy Nilkhet crossing to protest the sudden suspension of our exams." Vehicular movement on the busy road remained halted for two hours following the protest, causing immense sufferings to commuters. READ: Students block Rampura road protesting SSC examinee’s death in road crash Earlier on Friday, the government announced the closure of all schools, colleges and universities of the country from January 21 to February 6 in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Bangladesh.

Hundreds of garment workers on Saturday blocked the busy Dhaka-Gazipur Road, demanding the immediate release of their salaries and other dues. The workers of ‘Style Craft Garment’ took to the streets in the morning, disrupting traffic on the busy route. The road soon witnessed a long tailback, causing inconvenience to hundreds of commuters. Also read: Garment workers demonstrate in Gazipur for wages The protesters claimed the factory management has not paid them salaries for the past seven months. Some 700 people work in the factory. On information, Industrial police soon rushed to the spot and pacified the protesters who finally dispersed around noon owing to the abrupt monsoon rains. Additional police personnel have been deployed in the factory area to avert further trouble, said Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station. Also read: Pay wages, bonus and arrears of the workers within July 19: Monnujan

Traffic movement on the key Shyamoli road remained suspended for two hours when readymade garments workers staged demonstration demanding salary hike.