Polytech students block road, clash with cops and damage vehicles
Polytechnic students stage protest blocking Tongi Diversion Road at Tejgaon Satrasta point for hours last night following death of a fellow student in a road accident.Photo: STAR
Angry students of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute damaged at least 20 vehicles and set fire to a bus after a fellow student was killed in a road accident at Satrasta intersection on Tongi Diversion Road last night.
The students also clashed with police for over three hours and put up barricades at different points, halting traffic on the busy road for about four hours.
They also staged demonstration and burned a number of tyres on the road and at places near the institute.
As the law enforcers tried to disperse the agitating students, they started pelting brickbats and attacked them with bamboo sticks. Police lobbed tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge. At least 20 people were injured during the clash.
Aminul Islam, a injured bus helper, said as the students started damaging the vehicles, some passengers also received injuries.
The deceased student was identified as Mohammad Ashiqul Alam. He was a second year student of Civil Engineering Department and hailed from Baufal upazila of Patuakhali district.
Witnesses said Ashiq, a resident of Latif Hall of the institute, was crushed under the wheels of a bus while trying to get down from it at Satrasta point at about 8:20pm. Ashiq went to Moghbazar to meet his cousin and was returning to the hall by the bus.
As the death news spread to the campus, several hundred students came out of the four dormitories of the institute and demonstrated on the road.
Police seized the killer bus and arrested its driver, but the helper managed to flee.
Vehicular movement on the road remained halted until filing of this report at 1:00am today as police blocked it apprehending fresh agitation by the students.
Several hundred vehicles had to remain stranded at FDC gate and Mohakhali point, causing sufferings to hundreds of passengers.
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