Protests continue to disrupt city traffic

Protests, human chains, and sit-ins by various organisations and government institutions have continued to disrupt traffic in Dhaka. 

The ongoing demonstrations have severely impacted the city’s traffic flow, particularly in key areas from Motijheel to Farmgate.

Today, employees from at least four organisations and government institutions gathered in front of the Chief Adviser’s residence, Jamuna, to voice their demands. 

In addition, workers and businesspeople from at least 10-12 other sectors held protests in areas such as Press Club, Secretariat, Kawran Bazar, and Paltan. Rain added to the public’s woes, as many were left stranded in gridlock for hours.

The day’s protests began at 10am, when members of the Private Employees’ Union of government colleges and trainers from the “Skills-Based Training Programme for Women’s Livelihood” under the Directorate of Women Affairs gathered to demand that their jobs be included in the government’s revenue sector. 

Abdul Gani, an office assistant at Patuakhali Government College, expressed frustration over their treatment as private employees despite working in government institutions. “We have gathered here from across the country to end this disparity. Our delegation has met with the chief adviser, and we have been promised that our demands will be met within a specific timeframe,” Gani said.

At 4:30pm, students from the Medical Assistant Training School held a sit-in, to press their four demands. 

Throughout the day, other groups continued their protests around the Secretariat. Teachers from schools for disabled students, doctors, village police, rickshaw drivers, and others gathered to press their demands. The teachers and staff demanded the nationalisation of their schools, while doctors protested against allowing diploma holders as physician assistants to practise medicine. 

The sheer number of protesters led to increased security around the Secretariat. Police were joined by members of the army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to manage the situation. Most of the Secretariat’s five gates remained closed for much of the day, creating significant inconvenience for employees entering and exiting the premises. 

Even one of the advisers faced difficulties when protesters surrounded his car upon arrival. The adviser was eventually forced to leave his vehicle and walk inside, only after a lengthy wait.

In addition to these protests, the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party held a mass rally in front of the Press Club on Wednesday morning. 

Party spokesperson Rashed Pradhan said Hasina government turned the country into a state of genocide and enforced disappearances over the past 15 years. He called for the trial of Sheikh Hasina, demanding she be brought back from India to face justice in Bangladesh.

In the afternoon, rickshaw pullers organised a protest rally and human chain demanding a ban on auto-rickshaws. Simultaneously, higher secondary students from various colleges protested the decision to cancel the HSC exams, holding rallies and human chains.

The Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal organised a protest rally demanding the trial of Sheikh Hasina in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. The rally concluded with a brief meeting in front of the BNP central office after circling the GPO intersection.

Adding to the chaos, traders and shop workers from Bashundhara City Shopping Mall blocked roads in Panthapath and surrounding areas of Kawran Bazar, demanding the resignation of the mall’s in-charge, Mohsin Karim. 

The blockade, extending to the area in front of the metro rail station in Kawran Bazar, caused severe traffic congestion in Kawran Bazar, Shahbagh, Farmgate, Science Lab, Mirpur Road, and nearby areas. 

Many vehicles and passengers were left in extreme hardship, with some resorting to walking to their destinations.