Students block roads protesting fellow’s death in bus crash

Students from different educational institutions blocked the Rampura Road on Tuesday.

Dhaka, Nov 30 :  Students from different educational institutions blocked the Rampura Road on Tuesday, protesting the death of a SSC examinee in a road accident on Monday.

The blockade triggered huge traffic gridlock in Rampura, Malibagh, Mouchak and other adjacent areas.

The students of BAF Shaheen College, Imperial College, Ekramunnessa School and College, Dhaka College, Government Science College took position on the road at 10 am.

The students allowed only private vehicles to move through a lane after checking driving licences and no bus was allowed to pass.

Mainuddin Islam Durjoy, an SSC examinee from Ekramunnesa College, was killed within a week of the tragic death of a student of Notre Dame College being hit by a garbage truck of Dhaka South City Corporation

The students chanted slogans demanding justice for Mainuddin Islam Durjoy and NDC student Naim Hasan and safer roads for all.

They also vowed not to leave the roads until the implementation of their 9-point demand sent to the City Corporation office. The agitated students removed the barricade from the road around 3 PM.

Mainuddin was run over by a bus around 10:45 pm Monday in Rampura Bazar area near Better Life Hospital.

Mainuddin’s death triggered agitation on the street leading to the torching of eight buses.

Azizul Haque, a witness, said the student got off a bus at Rampura Bazar when a speeding Green Anabil came from behind and ran him over, leaving him dead on the spot.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Motijheel range) Abdul Ahad told reporters that police seized the bus and arrested its driver.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) also detained the assistant of the accused driver, Chan Mia, from the city’s Sayedabad area early Tuesday.

In the wake of student protests over the past week, Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association today (Tuesday) announced that all students will get a 50% discount on bus fares in the Dhaka metropolitan area from Wednesday.

However, the discounted fares for students will be allowed only from 7am to 8 pm and it will not be applicable on government holidays, weekly holidays and other holidays, reports UNB.