Students from Dhaka Polytechnic Institute and several other public and private technical institutions ended their blockade of the busy Satrasta intersection in Tejgaon on Tuesday after issuing a 24-hour ultimatum to the government.
The students had blocked the road in protest against a recommendation that would allow BSc engineering graduates to be recruited for the Grade-10 of sub-assistant engineer post.
The protest began around 12:30pm when students occupied both sides of the road.
After holding the blockade for about two and a half hours, the students left the area, demanding the government meet their demands within 24 hours. The move caused heavy traffic congestion across the surrounding areas during the blockade period.
Mahmudur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Industrial Police Station said the blockade on one of the capital’s busiest roads created severe gridlock. Traffic flow began to return to normal once the students vacated the road.
Ashraful Islam Mishan, the central representative of the Technical Students’ Movement Bangladesh, announced the end of the blockade and warned that if the government fails to meet their demand within 24 hours, students from polytechnic institute across the country will march to Dhaka and intensify the movement.
He added that no new programme would be held on Wednesday due to the Shab-e-Barat holiday, but a fresh programme would be announced if the demand is not met.
A police officer on duty at Satrasta intersection said the blockade’s impact spread across the area, causing heavy traffic congestion for several hours.
