Commuters in Dhaka had to suffer immensely as traffic became standstill when the police attacked a group of protesting candidates for the 47th Bangladesh Civil Service written examinations in the capital’s Shahbagh area on Tuesday late afternoon.
Another section of the candidates blocked the Dhaka–Aricha highway for over three hours on the same day, resulting in a 10-kilometre tailback and leaving passengers to suffer for hours.
The protesters had been demanding deferral of the written examinations, scheduled to start from tomorrow.
In Dhaka, the police attacked a group of candidates, mostly Dhaka University students, using water cannon and hurling sound grenades in the Shahbagh area, leaving at least five protesters injured.
The protesters faced the police action during their march towards the chief adviser’s official residence, Jamuna.
The recent tension rose after a section of BCS candidates from different public universities blocked roads in the capital Dhaka and rail tracks in Rajshahi and Mymensingh, since Saturday.
They alleged that candidates usually got at least six months to prepare for the written examinations, but this year they were given only two months, prompting them to demand a ‘reasonable’ postponement of the exam schedule to be held from November 27.
On Monday, the Bangladesh Public Service Commission said that the 47th BCS written examinations would begin on November 27Â as per their announced schedule.
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Dhaka University reported that the protesters started to gather on the Shaheed Minar premises in Dhaka University on Tuesday. The candidates started their march towards Jamuna from the place at about 1:00pm.
However, the police set up barricades in front of the National Museum to block their path and the traffic movement on that side of the road came to a halt.
Tensions escalated at about 5:00pm when the candidates attempted to break through the barricades. In response, the police used water cannons and hurled sound grenades to disperse the protesters.
The police chased them near the Dhaka University’s Central Mosque area, where the candidates took position.
The candidates hurled some brick bats and stone pellets at the police.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost in-charge Md Faruk said that five injured candidates took treatment at the hospital.
At about 7:00pm, the police put barricades on both sides of the Shahbagh road, halting traffic movement on the road.
After the clash, the candidates demanded the resignation of the PSC chairman for the attack on them and not deferring the written exams.
They warned of stern action if their demand was not met by today.
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Jahangirnagar University reported that a group of protesters, mostly students of Jahangirnagar University, began their blockade on the Dhaka–Aricha highway at about 11:45pm near the university’s main gate, creating a tailback of roughly 10 km in both directions, witnesses said.
The protesters withdrew the blockade at about 1:00pm, resumed it at about 2:30pm and continued till 4:30pm.
The blockade stranded commuters and slowed deliveries.
Abdul Hakim, a vegetable trader travelling to Dhaka, said that the delay threatened his sales. ‘If I miss the afternoon market, I will have to endure a loss,’ he said.