Students to return on Sunday for peaceful protests on Progati Sarani
Construction of Abrar footbridge begins
Students demanding safer roads will return on Sunday again to continue their protest as they ended their human chain programme for today on Progati Sarani in front of Bashundhara gate.
The students said they would observe whether the government is truly implementing the pledges they have made for safer roads, said Azim Chowdhury, a student of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP).
The protesting students also gave flowers to the police personnel on the spot as they were helping the students to continue their peaceful protest.
Over a hundred students of different universities were standing in a human chain on the footpath, beside the spot where the Abrar Ahmed was run over last Tuesday, since 12:30pm.
They were demonstrating under watch of additional police forces deployed. There was no report of a road block placed, unlike last two days, until last reported.
“If we withdraw our demonstrations, our demands will not be met,” said a student of American International University of Bangladesh, wishing not to be named.
Yesterday, a section of the demonstrators shelved their protests until March 28.
CONSTRUCTION OF FOOTBRIDGE BEGINS
Meanwhile, construction workers have begun the preliminary works of the footbridge, in front of Bashundhara gate, which has been named after Abrar Ahmed.
Workers were seen piling the ground beside the foundation plaque of the bridge today.
The foundation plaque was unveiled before the protesting students yesterday by Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam, which bore the name of Abrar.
Abrar Ahmed, a student of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), was killed when a bus of Shuprobhat Paribahan in the morning hours of Tuesday.
The demonstration for safer roads began after his death instantly, which grew in magnitude and spread across several points of Dhaka yesterday.
They demand freeing the transport sector from political influence and check necessary papers of all buses each month, bring those responsible under the purview of law, all vehicles without fitness and all drivers without license should be banned from the streets, among others.