Staff Reporter :
Hundreds of nursing students brought traffic to a standstill in the capital on Wednesday afternoon by blocking the busy Shahbagh intersection, leading to severe congestion stretching from Shahbagh to Kakrail and causing immense suffering to city commuters.
Local sources said the demonstrators initially gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar to demand the upgrade of their nursing diplomas to bachelor’s degrees. As their protest intensified, vehicular movement in the area came to a halt, forcing many passengers to abandon their vehicles and walk long distances.
At the time vehicular movement in the area came to a complete standstill, forcing many commuters to abandon their buses and walk.
Khalid Monsur, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, confirmed the matter to the media and said that police were trying to vacate the area peacefully.
Meanwhile, Jagannath University (JnU) students clashed with police near Kakrail as they attempted to march towards the Chief Adviser’s official residence, Jamuna, to press home their three-point demand.
Witnesses said the students began their ‘Long March’ from the campus around 12:30pm, passing through Tatibazar, Gulistan, Zero Point and Matsya Bhaban intersections. Police intercepted them near the Kakrail Mosque, leading to a scuffle.
