Polytechnic students block road in Satrasta, causing severe traffic jam

Students from Dhaka Polytechnic Institute staged a road blockade in the capital's Satrasta area on Wednesday, leading to extensive traffic congestion across multiple neighborhoods.

The demonstration, centered on several key demands, began around 11:15 am when students assembled on campus in the morning and marched to the Satrasta intersection to halt traffic.

Eyewitness accounts describe how the group quickly occupied the road, causing gridlock that rippled out to Mohakhali, Banani, Moghbazar, Malibagh, and Mouchak. Commuters were left stranded, with many abandoning vehicles to walk to their destinations amid the chaos.

Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner Ibne Mizan addressed the situation in a statement to Daily Samakal, noting that the blockade started at 11 am and prompted the deployment of additional police forces to manage potential unrest. Law enforcement remains on high alert.

He added that the protest has effectively shut down seven roads, halting all incoming and outgoing traffic between Uttara and Moghbazar, and urged the students to clear the area promptly.

The engineering students' demands include:

Ensuring the maximum punishment for individuals from the Engineering Rights Movement who publicly shot at and threatened to slit the throats of diploma engineers.

Immediate state intervention to halt all activities supporting the unreasonable three-point demands of BSC engineering students.

Full implementation of the outline and recommendations from the logical six-point demands proposed by the Engineering Students’ Movement, Bangladesh.

Introduction of a unified Engineering One-Channel Education system.