Students block Dhaka-Barishal highway for 6hrs

Frustrated by the lack of clear information regarding the Milestone School air crash and the sudden postponement of HSC exams, students in Barishal staged a protest on Tuesday, blocking the Dhaka-Barishal highway for over six hours and demanding accountability from the government.

The protest began around 12:00pm, when hundreds of students gathered outside the Barishal Education Board and proceeded to block the nearby highway.

The students' demands focused on the government’s failure to provide accurate details about the victims of the recent Bangladesh Air Force plane crash in Dhaka’s Uttara, which involved students from Milestone School and College. They were also angered by the abrupt and poorly managed postponement of the HSC exams.

The protest brought traffic on the crucial Dhaka-Barishal highway to a halt, leading to heavy congestion and significant inconvenience for long-distance commuters.

At around 3:30pm, students briefly cleared a portion of the road but soon resumed the blockade. By 6:00pm, protesters remained on the highway, continuing their sit-in demonstration.

Sakibul Islam, one of the protesting students, said, “Our demands are fair, and we won’t leave the road until they’re addressed. Students died at Milestone, yet the government is hiding the true numbers. And now they’re playing with our future by suddenly postponing exams at 3 AM, while the entire country is in mourning.”

Another student, Imran Hossain, criticized the government’s handling of the situation, saying, “Every time we raise our voices, they respond with police or military force. Let it be clear — Hasina’s regime can’t silence the students. We helped bring this government to power; don’t think you can deceive us now.”