Titumir College students block road, rail line in Dhaka’s Mohakhali

Students at Government Titumir College have blocked the road and the rail line in Mohakhali area of Dhaka to demand the college be transformed into a university.

They say they will continue to protest until an announcement fulfilling their demand is made by high-ups in the government, reports bdnews24.com.

The protest began around 11:30 am on Monday and continued until this report was filed. The protest blocked the roads from Banani to Tejgaon, Tejgaon to Banani and Mohakhali’s Amtoli to the Jahangir Gate area. It also cut off Kamalapur Railway Station from the rest of the country.

“Titumir College students have blocked the road to demand a university,” said Kamalapur Station Master Md Anowar Hossain. “We have learnt that a train has been blocked in the area, but are not yet sure which one it is. I spoke to the control room and they said that no trains are departing now.”

Hundreds of students took up positions at Mohakhali’s Amtoli, the Mohakhali Wet Market, and the Mohakhali Rail Crossing area on Monday.

They held separate marches to press for their demand. Some students have occupied the road and the rail line and are not allowing anyone to pass.

“Today, we have taken to the streets to earn our demand,” said Ashraful Islam Titas, a student in the Department of Bangla. “For the past 27 years, students at Titumir College have demanded that it be converted to a university. But that demand is not being met. Jagannath College has become a university. Fifty-eight thousand students are studying at the college, but our reasonable demands are not being met.”

Al Noman Nirob, a student in the third year at the Department of Mathematics, said: “We will continue blocking the road and rail line until we get clear assurances that the ministry or those specifically responsible have decided to form a Titumir Commission.”

Many police personnel have been deployed at Amtoli and the rail crossing area.