Students from 7 govt colleges block key roads in Dhaka again

Students from seven government colleges affiliated with Dhaka University continued their protests on Thursday by blocking major intersections, including Science Lab and Technical, demanding the immediate approval of the revised draft of the proposed Dhaka Central University ordinance and its promulgation by the President.

The blockade began shortly after 12:30 pm, when students from Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, and Badrunnesa Government Women's College led processions and occupied the Science Lab intersection, as previously announced. 

This action halted traffic on critical routes such as Mirpur Road, resulting in severe gridlock across the city. 

Commuters endured significant hardship, with many passengers disembarking from buses and walking to reach their destinations.

Protesters expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in issuing the final ordinance for establishing Dhaka Central University, which would incorporate the seven colleges into a separate institution. 

They described the ongoing delays as mere "excuses" by authorities and vowed to maintain the road blockade until their demands are met. 

The students claimed they had reliable information that the revised draft would be approved during an Advisory Council meeting on Thursday, followed by the President's issuance of the final ordinance.

The Ministry of Education stated that the updated draft was forwarded to the Ministry of Public Administration on Tuesday. It will be presented to the Advisory Council for approval after obtaining policy clearance from the Cabinet Division and legal vetting by the Law Ministry, as soon as possible.

This marked the second consecutive day of such demonstrations. 

On Wednesday, students blocked multiple key points, including the Science Lab intersection around 1:00 pm, the Technical intersection in Mirpur from about 12:30 pm, and the Tantibazar intersection in Old Dhaka from approximately 11:45 am. 

Students from Government Titumir College also briefly obstructed a road in Mohakhali for around 10 minutes at 1:00 pm. Those blockades were lifted later in the afternoon: Technical area around 3:30 pm, Tantibazar around 3:15 pm, and Science Lab at 5:40 pm.

The ongoing movement, under the banner of the "Saat College Biswabidyaloy Rupantor Andolon" (Seven Colleges University Transformation Movement), originated from long-standing demands to resolve the affiliation issues with Dhaka University and establish an independent university for the colleges. 

Protesters have warned of intensified actions if their single-point demand is not addressed promptly.