BUBT students issue 72-hour ultimatum

Students of Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) yesterday lifted their road blockade in Mirpur after issuing a 72-hour ultimatum to authorities, to arrest the bus driver who killed a fellow student.

The students withdrew the blockade around 4:00pm after police officials assured them of arresting the Dishari Paribahan bus driver responsible for the hit-and-run that killed Masud Rana, a final year BBA student at BUBT, said Jakir Hossain, an agitating student of the university.

Earlier, around 10:00am, several hundred BUBT students gathered at Sony Cinema roundabout and National Zoo Road in Mirpur for the second consecutive day, protesting the death of Masud, who was run over on the same road on Monday.

Just the day before, on Sunday, a bus of Bashumati Paribahan in a similar hit-and-run on Kalshi flyover caused the death of Shahriar Sourov Sejan, 28.

Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Shah Ali Police Station, told The Daily Star that they were trying to arrest the driver of the Dishari Paribahan bus.

COMMUTERS SUFFER FOR SECOND DAY

Commute through the area ground to a halt as students continued their agitation for the second day.

Traffic snarl-ups spilled over to surrounding roads, causing sufferings to thousands, especially children, women and the elderly.

Before the road blockade was withdrawn, this correspondent found sixty-two year old Fozila Begum near the Sony Cinema roundabout, struggling to carry her belongings in both hands.

Unaware of the ongoing road blockade, she had arrived at Gabtoli Bus Terminal around 2:00pm from Manikganj and was going to her house at Mirpur 10. With no mode of transport available, the frail elderly woman had to make frequent rest stops before she reached the roundabout of Sony Cinema, a distance that is less than half of her final destination.

“As the roads were blocked suddenly, I could not find any transport. This unannounced road blockage made it very difficult for a poor and old person like me to walk such a long distance with a heavy baggage,” Fozila Begum said.

Explaining her situation, she added, “I went to Manikganj in the morning as my daughter was feeling unwell. But my daughter-in-law, who lives here with my son, suddenly became ill after I reached there. So, I had to come home immediately.”