Students protesting for safe roads, following the death of a Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) student Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury on Tuesday, vowed to stay on the street until their demands are fulfilled.
The agitating students from various educational institutions including Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), North South University and Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) took possession at the main gate of Bashundhara residential area since Wednesday morning.
They were chanting slogans, “Action, action, direct action” at the time.
Dhaka North City Corporation mayor Atiqul Islam, DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah and BUP vice-chancellor Md Emdad-Ul-Bari came to meet the demonstrators around 11:00am and laid foundation stone of a over bridge.
The bridge will be named after the 20-year-old BUP student Abrar.
They talked to the protesting students and assured them of fulfilling their demands as soon as possible.
A protesting student, Salman Tarek said, “They made such promises earlier. Jabal-e-Noor bus service is still running in the city that killed Dia and Rajib last year. They promised to build an overbridge at this point one and half years ago but to no avail.”
“The mayor said the bus service of Suprabhat Paribahan was closed after Abrar’s death. But the buses were seen on the roads later. We don’t believe in promises anymore. We will stand on the street until our demands are fulfilled,” he added.
Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury, son of retired brigadier general Arif Ahmed Chowdhury of Bashundhara area, and Bachelor’s first year student of international relations department was killed around 7:15am when a bus of ‘Suprabhat Paribahan’ ran over him, leaving him dead on the spot in front of Bashundhara gate on Tuesday.
Students of different universities blocked the road in front of Jamuna Future Park in Bashundhara area immediately after the incident. They gathered for the second consecutive day on Wednesday demanding safe road.
Similar demonstration took place last year from 29 July to 8 August as a Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan bus ploughed through some students at the airport road and killed two students Diya Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib. Abrar had been a supporter of the demonstration at the time.
The then protests for safe roads drew attention of various local and foreign media creating quite a stir in the country.
