AL council puts Buet test takers thru an ordeal
The test takers for admission to the Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (Buet) had a hard time negotiating road blockades at places en route to the campus yesterday.
The guardians, accompanying them, also endured the sufferings and most of them had to start at daybreak to reach the examination halls as many roads leading to the Buet campus were made off-limits, as part of traffic management arranged for Awami League's 20th national council. The council, at Suhrawardy Udyan, drew a huge number of delegates, councillors, and audience.
Many of the 9,157 students, who turned up to battle it out for 1,030 seats available for the 2016-17 academic session, had to stay overnight either at friends and relatives' dormitories and residences close by or start very early in the morning from far-off places to reach by 9:00am.
“We started off from Narayanganj before 6:00 and reached the venue around 8:30 because of the traffic jam that started from Gulistan,” said Probir Chandra Barman, an applicant from Narayanganj.
“After reaching in Bokshibazar area, we found road barricades. So, we had to enter the campus through Palashi, walking,” added the student of Haji Misir Ali College.
A guardian said they had to travel long distances through Rampura and Gulistan due to the blockade.
Many students were seen walking to the examination hall.
Two days before the exam day, the Buet authorities sent text messages to the applicants requesting them to start early anticipating the traffic situation.
Many students stayed with relatives at the halls of Buet and Dhaka University so as to attend the exam in time.
One Misbahul Hakim, from Rangpur, stayed with a student from his village at Ahsanullah Hall of Buet. “Like me, many others stayed in different halls on the Buet campus,” he said.
Ashraful Islam, from Gournadi Pilot College from Wazirpur of Barisal, said, "I stayed in a room of an acquaintance at Sergeant Jahurul Haque Hall as my uncle's house is in Savar. I could not sleep properly due to the accommodation crisis in the room."
All entry points to the Buet campus were also choked with traffic before the exams began, said witnesses.
Before start of the test, the footpaths in front of Buet were filled as students were sitting there on newspaper sheets and were busy doing the last-minute revisions.
"I came here around 7:20am, fearing traffic congestion. I have to revise the mathematical formulas and highlights, but I cannot concentrate because of the noisy environment," said Samia Jannat, from Mohakhli.
Some applicants and guardians expressed grievance because of the two major incidents being conducted at the same time.
Students said they went through huge mental pressure before the test, over reaching the exam hall in time.
Ashim Ghosh, from Rajshahi College, said, "I came to Dhaka for the first time. I was nervous as I do not know the streets and areas of Dhaka city. I cannot complete my revision as I had to come here tensed, from one of my relatives' house in Dhanmondi."
Some others were rushing towards exam halls one or two minutes before the test began.
Shahadat Hossain, of Dhaka City College, said, "A procession of Awami League councillors was going towards Nilkhet area. Rickshaws stopped plying for some time. So it took time to reach the exam hall in time though I started early."
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