Sunday, 23 February, 2025
On Thursday, the final working day of the week, a blockade by Titumir College students caused a massive traffic gridlock across the capital. Traffic came to a standstill in areas including Gulshan-Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Bijoy Sarani, Jahangir Gate, and Moghbazar.
By 6:45 p.m., the protesters remained on the streets—some lying on the pavement, while others stood on the road holding banners and chanting slogans.
The protest began as students blocked the Gulshan-Mohakhali road, heightening tensions amid a hunger strike by five demonstrators who were demanding, among other things, the conversion of Titumir College into a university.
"Five of us have been on a hunger strike demanding the transformation of the college into a university," said Ali Ahmed, one of the protesters.
"Despite the campus shutdown, the principal is organising cultural programmes. Even after the hunger strikers fell ill, he did not speak to them. Instead, they played music through microphones at us. The students grew angry and took to the streets.”
Kamrul Hasan, 45, boarded a bus from Gulistan in the capital around noon, expecting a routine trip. Four hours later, he was still stranded at the Saat Rasta intersection in Tejgaon, stuck in the massive traffic gridlock that had paralyzed the city.
“College students are blocking the road. The vehicle isn’t moving. I’m still stuck at Saat Rasta and can’t even walk because I have some belongings with me,” he told THE BANGLADESH EXPRESS.
Rehana Begum, 56, found herself in the same predicament. On her way to Banani to visit her sick mother, her private car was stuck at the Tibet intersection in Tejgaon for three hours, trapped in the growing congestion.
The blockade brought much of Mohakhali and its surrounding areas to a standstill, leaving passengers and pedestrians struggling in gridlocked streets on the eve of the Bishwa Ijtema. Traffic on the Gulshan-Banani road from Moghbazar remained at a complete halt for hours.
Under the circumstances, many commuters abandoned their buses and walked to their destinations. But those traveling from afar had little choice but to wait, stranded in their seats, their luggage and belongings piled beside them.
Around 3:30 pm, 65-year-old Mamun Sheikh, who had been stuck for hours in a bus in Tejgaon, finally decided to start walking.
“I got down from Balaka Paribahan and started walking toward Karwan Bazar. Not a single alley is empty. Everything seems paralysed by the traffic jam”, he told this reporter.
However, the journey quickly wore him down. He paused at the Saat Rasta intersection to catch his breath before pressing on.
He said, “This is how the strike will be—the government is silent, the administration is silent… Where will we, the ordinary people, go?”
Tania Sultana, additional deputy commissioner of traffic for Tejgaon Division, acknowledged the widespread disruption caused by the Titumir College protests.
“The movement has affected the entire Mohakhali and Tejgaon areas. Vehicles are moving very slowly in that direction, leading to severe traffic congestion.”
She added that authorities were working to manage the situation. “We are trying to maintain regular traffic flow in coordination with the Mohakhali area. Those using the elevated expressway are being allowed through. We are doing our best to keep traffic moving.”
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Traffic for Gulshan Division Md Ziaur Rahman said authorities were working to ease the gridlock by redirecting vehicles.
“We are trying to pass vehicles coming from Uttara through the flyover. At the same time, we are managing traffic by sending vehicles from the opposite direction toward Banani.”
“Today is Thursday, and tomorrow is Ijtema. We are trying to manage the situation somehow with divers.”
Elsewhere in Dhaka, students of Donia University College in Shanir Akhra staged their protest, blocking the road for about two hours in the afternoon. The demonstration triggered severe traffic congestion on major routes leading from Jatrabari to Narayanganj, Sylhet, and Chattogram.
The unrest followed Tuesday evening’s protests when students took to the streets outside Donia College after Minhajul Islam, a student, was hacked to death.
Md Azad Rahman, deputy commissioner of traffic for the Wari Division, said the students returned to the highway on Thursday afternoon, demanding justice over the murder of the student.
“They blocked the road for two hours before dispersing,” he said.
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On Thursday, the final working day of the week, a blockade by Titumir College students caused a massive traffic gridlock across the capital. Traffic came to a standstill in areas including Gulshan-Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Bijoy Sarani, Jahangir Gate, and Moghbazar.
By 6:45 p.m., the protesters remained on the streets—some lying on the pavement, while others stood on the road holding banners and chanting slogans.
The protest began as students blocked the Gulshan-Mohakhali road, heightening tensions amid a hunger strike by five demonstrators who were demanding, among other things, the conversion of Titumir College into a university.
"Five of us have been on a hunger strike demanding the transformation of the college into a university," said Ali Ahmed, one of the protesters.
"Despite the campus shutdown, the principal is organising cultural programmes. Even after the hunger strikers fell ill, he did not speak to them. Instead, they played music through microphones at us. The students grew angry and took to the streets.”
Kamrul Hasan, 45, boarded a bus from Gulistan in the capital around noon, expecting a routine trip. Four hours later, he was still stranded at the Saat Rasta intersection in Tejgaon, stuck in the massive traffic gridlock that had paralyzed the city.
“College students are blocking the road. The vehicle isn’t moving. I’m still stuck at Saat Rasta and can’t even walk because I have some belongings with me,” he told THE BANGLADESH EXPRESS.
Rehana Begum, 56, found herself in the same predicament. On her way to Banani to visit her sick mother, her private car was stuck at the Tibet intersection in Tejgaon for three hours, trapped in the growing congestion.
The blockade brought much of Mohakhali and its surrounding areas to a standstill, leaving passengers and pedestrians struggling in gridlocked streets on the eve of the Bishwa Ijtema. Traffic on the Gulshan-Banani road from Moghbazar remained at a complete halt for hours.
Under the circumstances, many commuters abandoned their buses and walked to their destinations. But those traveling from afar had little choice but to wait, stranded in their seats, their luggage and belongings piled beside them.
Around 3:30 pm, 65-year-old Mamun Sheikh, who had been stuck for hours in a bus in Tejgaon, finally decided to start walking.
“I got down from Balaka Paribahan and started walking toward Karwan Bazar. Not a single alley is empty. Everything seems paralysed by the traffic jam”, he told this reporter.
However, the journey quickly wore him down. He paused at the Saat Rasta intersection to catch his breath before pressing on.
He said, “This is how the strike will be—the government is silent, the administration is silent… Where will we, the ordinary people, go?”
Tania Sultana, additional deputy commissioner of traffic for Tejgaon Division, acknowledged the widespread disruption caused by the Titumir College protests.
“The movement has affected the entire Mohakhali and Tejgaon areas. Vehicles are moving very slowly in that direction, leading to severe traffic congestion.”
She added that authorities were working to manage the situation. “We are trying to maintain regular traffic flow in coordination with the Mohakhali area. Those using the elevated expressway are being allowed through. We are doing our best to keep traffic moving.”
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Traffic for Gulshan Division Md Ziaur Rahman said authorities were working to ease the gridlock by redirecting vehicles.
“We are trying to pass vehicles coming from Uttara through the flyover. At the same time, we are managing traffic by sending vehicles from the opposite direction toward Banani.”
“Today is Thursday, and tomorrow is Ijtema. We are trying to manage the situation somehow with divers.”
Elsewhere in Dhaka, students of Donia University College in Shanir Akhra staged their protest, blocking the road for about two hours in the afternoon. The demonstration triggered severe traffic congestion on major routes leading from Jatrabari to Narayanganj, Sylhet, and Chattogram.
The unrest followed Tuesday evening’s protests when students took to the streets outside Donia College after Minhajul Islam, a student, was hacked to death.
Md Azad Rahman, deputy commissioner of traffic for the Wari Division, said the students returned to the highway on Thursday afternoon, demanding justice over the murder of the student.
“They blocked the road for two hours before dispersing,” he said.
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