Rabindra University students block Jamuna bridge toll plaza

A day after a six-hour blockade of railway tracks yesterday, agitating students of Rabindra University today blocked the Jamuna bridge toll plaza, halting road communication between Dhaka and the northern districts.

Demanding permanent campus for their university, the students blocked the toll plaza intersection around 11:50am placing barricades on the country's busiest bridge, said Officer-in-Charge of Jamuna Bridge West Zone Police Station, Asaduzzaman.

Vehicular movement through the Jamuna bridge came to a standstill, leaving a huge number of vehicles stranded on both sides.

Photo: Collected

Police are on the spot and trying to resolve the situation, the OC added.

The blockade caused long tailbacks on both the western and eastern approaches to one of the busiest road communication routes in the country. Around 20,000 to 22,000 vehicles use the Jamuna bridge daily, connecting Dhaka with 22 districts, including 16 northern districts.

Earlier, the students began their agitation on July 26, boycotting the "University Day" programme to demand approval of the Development Project Proposal (DPP) for the university.

The agitating students said they would continue their movement until their demand is fulfilled.

The Tk 519 crore project (DPP) has already been placed for approval at the upcoming ECNEC meeting.