Transport workers and university students face off in Barisal

Transport workers have been carrying sticks at the Rupatali bus terminal and students on the Barisal-Kuakata highway adjacent to the university since Saturday morning. They are protesting against each other by burning tires on the road.

As a result, direct road communication of Barisal with Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna and tourist centers Kuakata and Jhalokati, Pirojpur and Khulna districts has been cut off. The people of different destinations have been suffering much.

Last Tuesday afternoon, two students of Barisal University had a quarrel with the staff of the BRTC counter at Rupatalistha in the city. In that trivial incident, counter staff Rafiq humiliated two students. In protest, the students immediately blocked the road and demanded Rafiq's arrest.

Following the incident, the bus workers were accused of brutally attacking various messes of students in Rupatali area late on Tuesday night.

The students blocked the Barisal-Patuakhali highway in front of the university all day long on Wednesday.

After a meeting with the university administration, the students suspended the road blockade in the afternoon with a 48-hour ultimatum.

However, as the demand was not met even in 48 hours, the students staged a torch procession on Friday evening. They started protesting by blocking the highway from Saturday morning demanding the same.

Meanwhile, two transport workers were arrested by the police late on Friday night. On Saturday morning, the transport owners and workers also stopped the movement of buses on the road adjacent to the terminal protesting the arrest.