Ashraful Islam Joy:

Like the previous days, students of Rabindra University in Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj district staged demonstrations including rally and sit-in-programme at BSCIC bus terminal area blocking the Dhaka-Pabna highway that causes immense sufferings to the commuters.

During the demonstrations, local leaders and activists of Sachetan Nagorik Somaj (Conscious Citizens’ Society) took part in the movements expressing solidarity with their demands.

Hundreds of students in collaboration with local residents gathered on the road, held rally and staged sit-in-programme blocking the highly busiest highway that halted movements of all modes of vehicles for hours.

As a result, long queues were created on the both sides of the agitation venue that leads chaos on road. Agitating drivers and passengers expressed their agony to the authorities concerned for such students’ movements continue for last few days blocking the Dhaka-Pabna highway. They urged the authorities to resolve the problem as soon as possible to alleviate their sufferings during travel.

On the other hand, students of the university warned for tougher movements in future unless their demand is met.

Sohana, a student of the varsity said, “We have been carrying our classes on rented house even after passing nine years of the university establishment. We will not expect such as policy of the government. We will return to the classes after fulfilling our demand for permanent campus.”

Jubayer Rahman, another student of the varsity said, “Rabindra University has now become a subject of negligence as it has been established in a remote upazila town of the northern region. If it were established in any important city of the country, students would get permanent campus without any movement. But, we are being deprived of our fair demand.”

Rustom Ali, a driver of Pabna Express said, “We are facing immense sufferings along with our passengers during travel due to students’ movement that has been going on blocking highway for the last few days. If this suffering continues, we will be forced to stop plying of our transports on this road. So, the authorities concerned should take decision to resolve the problem.”

He further said, “We don’t have any object over the students’ movement. But, carrying the movements by blocking an important road regularly is not acceptable. We want relief from his hassle.”

While contacted, no one of the authorities concerned agreed to make any comment in this regard.