Thousands of university and college students took to the streets and blocked traffic in the capital and different national highways on Sunday to press home their demand for cancellation of the quota system in government jobs. On the other hand, academic and administrative activities at public universities across the country remain halted as the indefinite strike by teachers protesting the ‘Prattay pension scheme enters its fifth consecutive day.
Therefore, city dwellers suffered immensely as thousands of students barricaded key points in the city, causing heavy traffic congestion that spilled over to nearby roads and allies. The long-distance passengers also remained stuck for hours on different national highways.
However, the government is closely monitoring the teachers’ movement and expressing hope for a swift resolution. But, no initiative has been taken in this regard till date. Commuters who usually use the city’s entry and exit points Abdullahpur, Gabtoil and Saidabad roads are the worst sufferers. Commuters especially office-goers suffered immensely due to traffic chaos at several points in Dhaka, including Shahbagh, Tongi, Uttara, Airport road, Mohakhali, Bijoy Sarani, and Bangla Motor areas. Vehicles were seen stranded for hours on these roads throughout the day.
The commuters do not know when they will be able to reach home as vehicles remain stranded on the road for hours. The traffic gridlock has now turned into a terrible situation, forcing many commuters to walk to their respective destinations amid rain and scorching sun.
City dwellers suffered immensely
as thousands of
students barricaded key points in the city,
causing heavy traffic congestion
The office-goers and students of primary and secondary schools are going through tremendous troubles due to the severe gridlock. This standoff continues plunging the city’s public transportation system into further chaos, causing immense suffering to them for the past one week.
Traffic jam not only kills time but also ruins our energy. Besides, as many as seven lakh of non-mechanical vehicles such as rickshaws, vans and carts have been plying the city roads alongside the mechanical vehicles which have greatly contributed to the city's nagging traffic jams.
On the other hand, BNP and Jamaat are now using their student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and Chhtra Shibir to create unrest on the roads and highways across the country. The BNP-Jamaat has now become desperate to make the country’s university campuses, especially the Dhaka University campus volatile at any cost. They are now doing everything to create unrest in the country centering the universities. They are making ill attempts to make the campuses unstable by using their student wings.
It is feared that a plot is being hatched to make the university campuses unstable to destabilise the country. We have noticed that after the January 7 general elections, some elements led by the BNP-Jamaat clique are desperate to create unrest in the country centering the universities with a target to oust the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Authorities of all educational institutions especially public universities must remain cautious and come up with necessary measures to maintain peaceful atmosphere on campuses. As they [BNP] have no options left, they will now depend on movement on campus by instigating the students in many ways.
The students and teachers will have to be united further to thwart any plot to create unrest on campuses. All should keep in mind that the university cannot be a place for doing ill politics but it is an institution for higher learning with teaching, research and other extra curricular facilities.
To protect universities and its students and ensure peace on campuses, the Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir, the defeated pro-Pakistan anti-liberation forces and their allies must be kept at bay.
