Students of different agricultural universities in different districts on Sunday enforced an ‘Agri Blockade’ by blocking roads and rail lines, demanding reforms in the recruitment and promotion systems of agriculturists in the public service.
In Mymensingh, rail communications on the Dhaka -Mymensingh route were closed for about four hours after a section of Bangladesh Agricultural University students blocked rail tracks.
In the capital Dhaka, a section of students of the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University blocked a road in Agargaon area and in Rajshahi, students of Rajshahi University blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi national highway.
They enforced the programme at a time when engineering students in the country were also observing a ‘complete shutdown’ programme for an indefinite period by boycotting all academic activities with demands that include reforms in recruitment and promotion systems for engineers in the public service.
Under the banner of Bangladesh Agriculturalists’ Unity Council, students of different agricultural university observed their pre-scheduled blockade programme.
Their three-point demand includes all the candidates must pass a recruitment examination to enter into the ninth grade public jobs in agriculture, promotions through quotas are not allowed, open all 10th grade posts for the agriculturists in all research institutions, including Department of Agricultural Extension and Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and restriction on the use of the title ‘agriculturist’ without honours in agriculture or equivalent subjects.
Students of different universities, including Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Khulna University, Khulna Agricultural University and Gopalganj Science and Technology University also observed the ‘Agri Blockade’ on the day.
At about 5:00pm, a section of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University blocked the road in Agargaon area in the capital.
They staged a sit-in there by blocking the road. Following the blockade, huge traffic congestion created in the area.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s traffic division (Tejgaon) additional deputy commissioner Tania Sultana told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that after the students blocked the road, they diverted the traffic through another road to ease the congestion.
The students left the road at about 6:30pm, she added. Â
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Mymensingh reported that students of Bangladesh Agricultural University stopped Haor Express on Dhaka route by blocking the rail track on the Dhaka-Mymensingh route at about 11:30am as part of ‘Agri Blockade’.
They let the Haor Express go at about 12:45pm and stopped Mohua Express on Mohonganj route at about 1:00pm.
Following these, the movement of trains on Dhaka-Mymensingh remained suspended.
Passengers on the route suffered due to the halt and suspension.
At about 3:30pm, the students withdrew their blockade after Mymensingh district deputy commissioner Mofidul Islam assured them that a meeting would be held between agriculture affairs adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and the protesting students today.
BAU student Md Mezbaul Haque said that if the government would not meet their demands, they would go for tougher movement.
Mymensingh railway police station officer-in-charge Md Akhter Hossain said that the students withdrew their blockade from rail lines at about 3:30pm and since then rail communications had become normal.
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Rajshahi reported that Rajshahi University students blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway in front of the university’s main gate at about 12:00pm.
