Five-hour blockade at CU gate ends with 4 circular buses announced
The protest followed a fare dispute between students and CNG-run three-wheeler drivers.
The Chittagong University (CU) administration has announced the launch of four permanent circular buses for students from today (8 September), following a five-hour blockade of the university's main gate over transport woes.
The Chittagong University Central Students' Union (Cucsu) began the blockade around 8pm yesterday (7 September) in protest against CNG-run three-wheelers charging higher fares and to demand circular bus services for students. The protest continued until around 1am.
Other student organisations, including Chhatra Shakti, later joined the protest.
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At around 1am, Chittagong University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Dr Mohammad Al-Amin went to the scene and announced the administration's decision to operate four buses permanently.
Under the decision, four buses will operate from the university's Gate No 1 area on a campus route from today. The buses will run in a circular route to facilitate students' movement around the campus.
The protest began after an argument between students and CNG-run three-wheeler drivers over increased fares, which the drivers attributed to rising gas prices.
The drivers subsequently stopped operating CNG-run three-wheelers on the university campus, creating a transport crisis for students.
Speaking at the protest site, Cucsu's Communication and Accommodation Affairs Secretary Md Ishaq Bhuiyan said the administration had initially proposed operating two buses, but the students demanded at least four.
"We hope the buses will start operating from tomorrow [this] morning," he said.
Professor Al-Amin said the students taking part in the protest had a single demand - permanent circular bus services on campus.
He said the administration had arranged four permanent buses on the Zero Point to Gate No 1 route from today and urged students to end the protest as it was already late at night.
The pro-vice-chancellor, however, criticised the blockade of the university's main gate, saying such protests risked reviving a culture of locking the campus gates whenever there is a dispute.
"We do not want this culture to return to the campus," he said, urging students to refrain from blocking or locking the university's main gate whenever they have a demand.
