Ctg anti-quota protesters halt trains, city traffic; passengers left stranded

Hundreds of students from the University of Chittagong (CU) and its affiliated colleges staged a major anti-quota protest, blocking roads at the Tigerpass intersection and railways under the Dewanhat Over Bridge in Chattogram city today (10 July). 

The blockade caused significant disruption to traffic in the city, stranding Cox's Bazar-bound Tourist Express and the Dhaka-bound Mahanagar Express trains at the Chattogram railway station.

Chattogram Railway Station Master Shafiqul Islam confirmed to The Business Standard that the protesters had blocked the railway under the Dewanhat Over Bridge. 

He noted that law enforcement officers were present but the Mahanagar Express to Dhaka and the Tourist Express to Cox's Bazar remained unable to depart due to the students' movement.

Following the railway blockade in the morning, the protesters moved to Tigerpass Intersection in the afternoon blocking traffic on Newmarket, Dewanhat, Ambagan, and Pahartali roads for about an hour. 

Vehicles from Newmarket had to reroute through CRB-Radisson Blue to Lalkhan Bazar towards GEC, while those from Pahartali road were diverted to Lalkhan Bazar via the road in front of the city corporation's temporary office. 

As a result, hundreds of vehicles got stuck at the Tigerpass intersection while many passengers were forced to walk to their destinations.

Meanwhile, the city's main entrances, including City Gate, Gate No 2, AK Khan, Agrabad Access Road, and Alankar, experienced a slight decline in public transport. 

The number of CNG auto-rickshaws and private vehicles also dropped noticeably. 

Jaynal Abedi Titu, deputy commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Traffic (North) Division, told The Business Standard that the protesters blocked the most crucial intersection of the city causing long tailbacks on most of the roads linked to the intersection. 

"We are trying to divert the traffic movement through alternative roads to reduce the congestion", he added.

Mokhlesur Rahman, deputy commissioner of CMP North Division, said police are trying to convince the protesters to lift the blockade as thousands of citizens are suffering because of it. 

"There is nothing more we can do right now. If we force them to move from roads, the movement might divert in a different direction," he added.

Russell Ahmed, Ctg coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said the protest would continue until sunset, with plans for more intense actions if their demands were not met.