Students protest inside Titumir College

Students at Titumir College in Dhaka have continued their protest for the second day today, demanding that the college be upgraded to a university.

They gathered near the gates of the campus, chanting slogans and making their voices heard. Outside the college, police have been stationed along the road to ensure security.

The protest started yesterday, Monday, when students blocked both the road and rail tracks for over four hours. 

After taking a break, they resumed blocking the roads again in the evening. Around 9:30 PM, the students ended the blockade but said they would continue their protest until their demand was met. 

They also announced that they would hold a "college shutdown" today, meaning no classes or exams would take place.

Inside the campus, the students have been chanting slogans like “TU TU” and “Principal, not VC,” calling for the college to become a university and for the leadership to be upgraded. 

The police presence has been heavy around the college to keep the situation under control.

One of the students, Shafayet Shafiq, explained that because of the shutdown, no academic activities are happening today. 

He added that the students are positioned in front of the gates to keep their protest going.

Read More: Students block rail tracks in Mohakhali, halting train services

Deputy Police Commissioner AFM Tariq Hossain Khan, who was at the scene, said that the police were on alert but were allowing the students to protest inside the campus.

The police aim to maintain law and order while the protest continues.

The protests on Monday caused major disruptions in the city, with traffic blocked and train services between Dhaka and the rest of the country coming to a standstill. 

This created long traffic jams, particularly on the Mahakhali flyover and the nearby Airport Road, leaving many commuters stuck for hours.

At one point, when the students were blocking the rail tracks, a train heading towards Kamalapur quickly passed through the area, ignoring the blockade. 

In response, the students threw stones and bricks at the train, injuring some passengers and breaking the train windows.