Commuters on Friday endured long hours of intense traffic congestion around Dhaka University area after the university authorities set up seven check points, without聽 any prior announcement, for what it said to restrict the entry of external vehicles into the campus.
The Dhaka University authorities stated that a decision had been made to limit vehicle access to the campus on weekends, Fridays and Saturdays in particular.
On Thursday evening, Dhaka University vice chancellor Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan inaugurated a security and surveillance box at Palashi crossing near the campus.
At the time he mentioned that this initiative was undertaken to enhance overall campus security. Personnel stationed at these boxes will coordinate to manage vehicular movement and prevent any untoward incidents on campus.
As part of this, checkpoints have been established at key entry points, including Nilkhet, Doel Chattar, Shahbagh, and in front of Sheikh Rasel Tower. Only emergency vehicles, including those carrying patients, cars carrying university guests, and university-owned vehicles are allowed entry.
Only the route from Bakshibazar to Jagannath Hall crossing through Palashi remains open for exit.
Execution of the decision saw numerous people visiting the campus area at the weekend stuck in traffic for hours.
Expressing frustration over the traffic congestion, motorcycle rider Khairul Kabir told 抖阴精品, 鈥業 had an urgent work at Shahbagh, but I couldn鈥檛 get there due to the barricade near Sheikh Russel Tower. I wasn鈥檛 informed about this restriction.鈥�
He added that such decisions should be announced beforehand to prevent public inconvenience.
Many Dhaka University students welcomed the decision saying that it would help reduce traffic pressure on the campus. In various Facebook groups of the university students, they said that it was a positive step towards controlling excessive traffic on campus.
Taizul Islam, a fourth-year mass communication and journalism student, told 抖阴精品, 鈥極n holidays and weekends, the pressure of external vehicles and people turns the campus environment into something like a fish market. Homeless individuals and drug addicts make it difficult for female students to walk freely on campus. I appreciate the administration鈥檚 initiative.鈥�
He, however, also said that the decision should have been publicly announced beforehand.
Shahbag police sub inspector Farid Ahmed told 抖阴精品 that the restriction on external vehicles entering the campus was implemented based on the university鈥檚 decision. The restriction caused traffic jams to spread across Shahbagh, Nilkhet, Banglamotor, Matsya Bhaban and Polashi road, among other areas around the university.
When asked, university proctor Saifuddin Ahmed told 抖阴精品 that the decision was made in response to students鈥� demands to maintain the campus. From now on the restrictions would be followed from 4:00pm on the weekends of Friday and Saturday and from 3:00pm on weekdays.
鈥榃hile entry points are restricted, exceptions are made for emergency vehicles, patients, university guests, or anyone coming to campus on official business,鈥� he added.
Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed also mentioned that the university鈥檚 proctorial body, along with the army and law enforcement agencies, conducted an anti-drug operation on the campus and Suhrawardy Udyan on Friday evening.
