Rabindra University students block Jamuna Bridge for permanent campus

Students of Rabindra University have blocked the Jamuna Bridge since Thursday noon, demanding the immediate approval and full implementation of the Development Project Proposal (DPP) for the construction of their permanent campus.

Following the blockade of the railway track on Wednesday, the students intensified their protest by obstructing the Sirajganj highway on the west bank of the Jamuna Bridge, halting all vehicular movement across the bridge. As a result, road communication between Dhaka and Northern Bangladesh remains suspended.

Every day, approximately 18,000 vehicles from 22 northern districts cross the Jamuna Bridge. The blockade has caused severe traffic congestion, leaving passengers and drivers stranded and facing significant hardship.

The students have made it clear that their movement will continue until the authorities approve and implement the development project proposal for the university’s permanent campus.

On Wednesday (August 13), students blocked the railway track in Ullapara, Sirajganj, disrupting train services between Dhaka and northern districts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The protest movement began on July 26 when teachers, students, officers, and staff boycotted Rabindra University Day, demanding swift action on the campus construction project. Since then, various activities including road blockades on the Bogura Nagarbari highway, street dramas, symbolic classes, and chain-breaking songs have been staged.

After receiving no response, the students organized a human chain at Hatikumrul Golchattar last Thursday, followed by another highway blockade on Sunday, which halted traffic between Dhaka and northern Bangladesh for nearly two hours and caused widespread congestion. Additionally, freshers’ receptions and seminars were held on the highway as part of the ongoing protest.

Authorities have yet to respond to the students' demands.