Students of Barishal University blocked the Dhaka-Kuakata highway for five hours after one of their fellow students died succumbing to injuries suffered in a road crash that they blamed on a reckless bus driver.
The aggrieved students started demonstrating on the highway in front of the university from 6pm on Tuesday, creating tailbacks in both directions.
On Sunday, Ismail Imon, a fifth year student of the university’s Marketing Department, was severely injured as a Sakura Paribahan bus he was on collided with a roadside tree near Madhabpur on the Dhaka-Barishal highway.
He was declared dead on Tuesday noon while receiving treatment at a private hospital, the students said.
Abu Masum, one of the protesting students, said passengers on Kuakata-Barishal-Dhaka route often face accidents while travelling on Sakura Paribahan buses, describing the company as “notorious for their reckless driving”.
Another BU student, Rubel Hossain, said they are protesting with a five point-demand, including punishment of the driver, paying Tk 1 crore in compensation to Imon’s family, and cancellation of Sakura Paribahan’s route permit.
Even as they called off their protest around 11pm, the students warned they would resume the blockade tomorrow following a Gayebana Jananza for Imon in front of the university at 10am, unless their demands are met.
Khorshed Alam, proctor of Barishal University, said they tried to convince the agitated students to leave the roads.
Fazlul Karim, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Barishal Metropolitan Police (south), said police were trying to bring traffic movement on the road back to normal, for which they engaged in discussions with the protesting students.
Source: United News of Bangladesh