Students of 7 DU-affiliated colleges block Nilkhet, causing traffic gridlock

Students from seven government colleges affiliated with Dhaka University once again blocked the Mirpur Road at the Nilkhet intersection in the capital on Sunday demanding a reduction in the minimum CGPA requirement for advancement to the next academic year.

Around 12pm on Sunday, the students gathered and blocked the road, causing a significant disruption to traffic flow between the Science Lab and New Market intersections. The protest also affected vehicular movement on Azimpur Road and other parts of the city, causing inconvenience to commuters.

Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS

During the blockade programme, several students fell sick and five of them were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Some of the protesting students told The Business Standard that these five students fell sick due to consuming poison. However, some other students claimed that the affected individuals had "attempted to consume poison," but their peers intervened to prevent them from doing so.

Bachchu Mia, an inspector of police from the Dhaka Medical College police outpost, told reporters, "Five students are under treatment in the emergency department. The doctors are examining whether they are sick from the heat or have taken anything [poisonous]."

Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS

The agitating students gathered at Nilkhet intersection at 12 noon and started the protest. As their demand was not met despite repeated road blockade programmes, this time they named their protest "Mass-Suicide Programme".

Mohammad Osman Gani, a student of Government Titumir College, said, "Thousands of students have gathered here to press home our demand. Seven students have been found to have been poisoned. It is initially believed that they brought poison with them."

He also said, "Some of our fellow students have been admitted to the hospital after drinking poison. If anything happens to our students, the coordinators of seven colleges and Dhaka University authorities will have to take the responsibility."

Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS

However, Taslim Chowdhury, coordinator of the Seven College Movement, told TBS that the news of some students falling ill due to poison intake was a rumour. He, however, acknowledged that eight of the protesting students fell sick and were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. But those students fell sick for other reasons.

Mentionable, students of the seven Dhaka University-affiliated colleges have been holding various programmes for the past three months demanding ease of the existing minimum CGPA requirements to get promoted to the next academic year. They blockaded the Nilkhet intersection on 22 August as well.

According to the university's current criteria, first-year students under social sciences and business faculties must attain a minimum CGPA of 2.00 to be promoted to the second year, second-year students require 2.25, and third-year students require 2.50.