Students block road at Notun Bazar in protest against expulsion of 26 UIU students
The protesting students claim the expulsions were arbitrary and are calling for both the withdrawal of the decision and administrative action against the university authorities
A group of students from United International University (UIU) blocked road in the capital's Bhatara Notun Bazar area, protesting the expulsion of 26 final-year honours students.
The protest, which began around 8:30am this morning (21 June), was ongoing as of the filing of this report at 3pm.
The protesters made a five-point demand, including the withdrawal of expulsion orders for students involved in the movements against the vice chancellor.
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The Private University Alliance of Bangladesh has joined the protest in solidarity with the UIU students.
As a result of the blockade, vehicular movement from Kuril Bishwa Road towards Badda remained halted on one side of the road, while traffic in the opposite direction — from Badda to Kuril Bishwa Road — remains unaffected.
Around 11am, Bhatara police attempted to remove the students from the road, leading to a chase and counter-chase incident. Several students were reportedly injured during this confrontation, though police denied beating any students.
Some police officers, including an inspector of operations, were also injured. The students later returned to occupy the road again.
Leaders of the Private University Alliance have warned that if UIU students' demands are not met by today, they will organise blockade programs across all of Dhaka tomorrow (22 June).
"Traffic jams occurred due to the blockade, and when we tried to disperse the students, some may have been injured from falling during the confrontation. We did not beat any students. Some officers were injured during the incident," said Inspector (Investigation) Sujan Haque of Bhatara Police Station.
He said senior DMP officials, including a joint commissioner and deputy commissioner, along with university administration members, are present at the scene, attempting to negotiate with the students.
Talking to UNB earlier on the day, Rakibul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Bhatara Police Station, said around 25 to 30 students occupied the road after 8am, demanding the withdrawal of the expulsion orders.
According to the OC, the university expelled the students after they received very low marks in their final honours examinations, raising concerns that they might not be able to pass in future attempts.
The protesting students claim the expulsions were arbitrary and are calling for both the withdrawal of the decision and administrative action against the university authorities.
Meanwhile, police have been trying to manage the situation peacefully and are working to resolve the issue through dialogue without resorting to the use of force, said a press release published by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) this afternoon.
However, certain individuals are spreading misleading information about the incident on social media, which is entirely baseless. In this context, all concerned are kindly requested to refrain from spreading unnecessary confusion regarding the matter, the press release added.
