Road safety movement: Solidarity amid suffering
Protesting students announce countrywide demonstrations on Wednesday after BRTA chairman rejects their demands
Shamala Roy and her husband Bimal Chandra Roy, 55, reached Rampura after walking for about an hour from Merul Badda. They sat down on a footpath to catch their breath.
Bimal said they had got out in the morning to go to Demra. But after standing for a few hours, they found no vehicles.
"So, I came here on foot and am now exhausted," he told The Business Standard.
Both Bimal and Shamala know why they could not find a mode of transport amid protesting students demanding safer roads.
"We support the students' movement. By this, a healthy transport system may come into existence," Bimal said.
Shamala also termed the students' movement a logical one, saying it was unacceptable for a mother to have an empty lap.
The duo were not the only ones who had to resort to walking.
Shafiqul Islam, who had also come to Rampura on foot from Badda, said he supported the students' movement.
He, however, said many may have urgent work or might have come far, and such circumstances could be considered.
"The government should resolve this issue immediately and bring the students back home. And measures should be taken to prevent such incidents in the future," he added.
Students on Tuesday blocked Rampura, Motijheel, Science Lab, Dhanmondi 27 areas in the capital protesting the deaths of SSC candidate Mainuddin Islam Durjoy and Notre Dame College student Nayeem Hasan in road accidents.
Students from different educational institutions, including Imperial College, National Ideal School and College, Ekramunnesa High School, Ideal School and College, South Point School and BAF Shaheen College started the protest from 10:30am.
They also brought out processions in different areas, where they shouted slogans demanding justice and safe roads.
The protestors left around noon at 3pm, announcing that they would take to the streets again on Wednesday from 11am.
Fresh protests announced
Rejecting the government decision to implement half-pass for students in Dhaka metropolitan area only, protesting students declared holding peaceful demonstrations in front of all educational institutions across the country on Wednesday to press home their nine-point demand.
Earlier at 11am, transport owners declared half-passes for students in Dhaka only.
Meanwhile, a three-member delegation of the agitating students met Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder.
After coming out, they said that despite discussing the nine-point demand, including half-fare in public transport, the students did not get any fruitful decision or promise.
One of the delegates, State University student Inzamul Haque, told reporters that the discussions were not as expected and the authority had not accepted the students' demands.
"For this, tomorrow [Wednesday] peaceful demonstrations will be held in front of all educational institutions across the country."
Speaking to students, they all reiterated their calls for justice and ensuring half-fare for students across the country.
"So far we have not seen any initiative by the government to give justice for the death of our classmate. No one has come and assured us. We will continue the blockade until we get proper justice," said Muhammad Aslam, a student of BAF Shaheen College.
Sumon Das, a student of Imperial College, told TBS, "We want justice for the death of our classmate Durjoy, safe roads for all and a half-fare policy for students across the country."
Rifat Hossain, a student of South Point School and College, told TBS, "Our demand is that the government publish a gazette notification on half-pass for students not only in Dhaka, but across the country."
Earlier on Monday night, seven buses were torched by a mob at Rampura after Durjoy was killed.
Durjoy, a student of Rampura Ekramunnessa High School, was an SSC candidate and also a tea vendor at Rampura Bazar. He was crossing the road when an Anabil Paribahan bus ran him over.
His death came less than a week after Notre Dame College's student Nayeem was killed after being hit by a garbage truck of the Dhaka South City Corporation in Gulistan on 24 November.
