The vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Barishal highway remained suspended for three hours on Thursday as students blocked the highway protesting ‘irregularities’ and ‘mismanagement’ in the healthcare sector in the country.
Students from different universities and colleges, including Barishal University, Government BL College, Hatem Ali College, Barishal Polytechnic Institute, took to the street at around 11:30am and blocked the highway near Nathullabad Bus Terminal.
They also obstructed movement of goods-laden vehicles and passenger vehicles, causing sufferings to the commuters.
The students have been staging demonstrations for the past 11 days in front of Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College, demanding action against syndicates in health sector across the country.
Mohiuddin Rony, a student, said that due to syndicates in government hospitals, people were not getting proper treatment.
‘This syndicates in the health sector must be dismantled. After 10 days of protests, today [Thursday] we have been compelled to block the highway,’ he added.
‘We have taken to the streets and we will not return home without reforms in the health sector,’ said another student Riazul Islam.
