6hr-sit-in on busy intersection causes immense sufferings

Demanding that the government declare their college a Dhaka University (DU) institute, several hundred students of the College of Home Economics yesterday kept Nilkhet intersection on the busy Mirpur road blocked for six hours, forcing vehicles to come to a standstill and causing tremendous sufferings to commuters.

Blocking the intersection at 10:30am, they staged a sit-in there till around 5:00pm.

The resultant traffic congestion spilled over to nearby roads.

Police, several teachers of the college and DU Proctor M Amzad Ali urged the agitated students to free the road and raise their demands with the authorities concerned. But they defied and continued their movement.  

The students said they felt deceived as they consider their college a part of DU before their admission tests which are conducted by the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the university. But after getting admitted, they do not get any facility of DU at their college.

"DU never takes care of us. Hence we are being deprived of various facilities. We want our college to be a DU institute," said Israt Jahan, a student of the college's child development and social relationship department.

Their other demands include ensuring its autonomy, providing transport and library facilities, ensuring quality education, resolving accommodation problems and appointing adequate number of teachers.

In the evening, they thronged the Banbeis Bhaban premises at Palashi, where Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and the officials concerned were holding a meeting.

Shamsunnahar, the college's principal, said they would hold meetings with the students, DU authorities and education ministry in this connection.