Bangla Blockade: Commuters suffer as quota protesters halt traffic in Dhaka

Traffic movements in Dhaka collapsed largely as protesting students blocked several major points of the city as part of their ‘Bangla Blockade’ programme resulting a heavy traffic congestion and the suffering of commuters.

Long lines of vehicles, including private cars, buses, and CNG-run auto-rickshaws, remained stranded for hours, unable to move an inch.

Many are leaving buses or rickshaws and walking to their destinations. Some are heading towards the Secretariat Metro Station.

PROTESTERS DEMAND SOLUTION FROM GOVERNMENT

The students calling for the scrapping of the quota system for government jobs have expressed dissatisfaction over Wednesday’s decision taken by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court over their movement.

Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of ongoing protests against the restoration of the quota system, said the decision of the apex court has made the problem ‘more complicated.’

The protester urged the government to form a commission to find out a reasonable way to end the problem as their movement has no relations with the judicial organ of the state.

He also expressed determination to continue the protests until getting a logical solution.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Appellate Division issued a status quo for one month on a High Court order that had reinstated the quota system in first and second-class government jobs.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order on Wednesday after hearing two petitions filed by the state and two Dhaka University students regarding the quota system’s reformation.