Seven Roads intersection blockade triggers severe traffic jam in Tejgaon

Technical students blocked the Seven Roads intersection in Tejgaon, Dhaka, protesting a proposal by a government committee formed to address professional issues of BSc and diploma degree holders.

The blockade began on Tuesday afternoon, February 3, causing severe traffic congestion in the area and effectively bringing traffic movement on surrounding roads to a standstill.

Eyewitnesses said groups of technical students gathered at the Seven Roads intersection around noon, resulting in long tailbacks on roads leading to Farmgate, Mohakhali, Karwan Bazar and Moghbazar. Office-goers, ambulances carrying patients and school students were among those facing serious difficulties.

The protesters claim that the proposal to reserve a 33 per cent quota for BSc engineers in tenth-grade sub-assistant engineer or equivalent posts is discriminatory and unreasonable. They are demanding the withdrawal of the proposal and have taken to the streets as part of their protest.

Earlier on Monday, the Bangladesh Diploma Engineering Students-Teachers-Professionals Struggle Council announced nationwide sit-in programmes.

In a press release, the organisation said an emergency meeting held at the IDEB building on Sunday evening, February 1, unanimously rejected the government committee’s proposal.

Tejgaon Industrial Area police station officer-in-charge Mahmudur Rahman said technical students are blocking roads at the Seven Roads intersection. He added that police are monitoring the situation and trying to keep traffic moving.

He said the students are protesting over recruitment at the tenth grade and the cancellation of the 33 per cent quota.