Commuters suffer for hours as student protest in Uttara paralyses Elevated Expressway, Airport Road

Highlights:

• Elevated Expressway and Airport Road paralysed for hours
• Protesters announce march to education ministry on Tuesday
• Airport passengers forced to walk with luggage
• Students demand minister's resignation, exam suspension and re-exams
• Education minister urges protesters to return to classes

Traffic on Dhaka's Elevated Expressway, Airport Road and adjoining routes came to a standstill for several hours today (14 July) after HSC and equivalent examinees blocked key roads in Uttara, intensifying protests over the government's decision to continue examinations despite adverse weather.

The protesters also announced a "March to the Education Ministry" programme for tomorrow, reiterating their demand that Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon resign within 24 hours.

The students said they were protesting the continuation of HSC and equivalent examinations despite floods and severe weather. They also demanded suspension of the examinations until conditions improve and fresh examinations for candidates who missed the 13 July tests because of the weather.

Around 11:30am, a group of examinees blocked the road in front of BNS Tower in Uttara, disrupting traffic in both directions on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway.

The blockade triggered severe congestion stretching from Uttara to Kuril and brought traffic on the Elevated Expressway and Airport Road to a near standstill.

"It's a total collapse of traffic due to the students' protest. I was stuck on the expressway for two hours. I was stranded from Kuril and there was no way to turn back. Airport passengers were forced to walk with their luggage," a senior private sector employee told The Business Standard.

Mohammad Shahjahan Hossain, deputy commissioner of the DMP's Uttara Traffic Division, said vehicular movement on the road had remained suspended since 11:30am.

Later, at around 5:30pm, protesting students gathered outside the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad complex as part of their ongoing demonstration. Police later dispersed students with baton charges.

Earlier in the day, students from Dhaka College, Dhaka City College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College, Noor Mohammad Public College, Dhaka Imperial College, Cambrian College, Dhaka Commerce College, Dhaka Ideal College, BAF Shaheen College and several other institutions blocked the Science Lab intersection, bringing traffic on Mirpur Road to a halt.

The demonstrations were part of coordinated protests held in Dhaka, Cumilla, Bogura, Barishal, Chattogram, Faridpur and Brahmanbaria.

Meanwhile, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon urged students to end their protests and return to their studies, assuring them that no student would be deprived because of disruptions caused by floods, natural disasters or administrative shortcomings.

Speaking in parliament, the minister said the government was closely monitoring the examination situation and would arrange re-examinations if necessary for students who were unable to sit the tests because of floods or administrative failures.

"The students should return to their studies. We are more concerned than they are about how to conduct the examinations smoothly and tackle this disaster situation," he said.