Commuters suffered for hours as students of Government Titumir College kept the capital's Mohakhali-Gulshan road blocked for almost the entire day yesterday demanding that the college be recognised as a university.

The demonstrators blocked both sides of the road around 11:00am, and as of the filing of this report near midnight, they were still there.

Soon after they took to the street, tailbacks spread to Banani, Gulshan, Airport Road, Pragati Sarani, Dhaka Elevated Expressway, and many neighbourhoods.

Office-goers, patients, and parents with children remained stranded on the roads for hours. Many abandoned their vehicles and walked to their destinations.

Arjit Chandra Barman, who was walking near Mohakhali, carrying his two-year-old in the afternoon, said "We decided to leave the bus and walk home to Agargaon. It's heartbreaking to see our child suffer."

Due to the blockade staged by Titumir College students, many had to abandon their vehicles and walk long distances to reach their destinations. Photo: Prabir Das

Shafiul Alam, a commuter with a broken arm in a cast, also had no choice but to walk home to Mirpur after waiting in vain for over 30 minutes.

"Why do we have to pay the price? What have thousands of us done to deserve this?" he asked.

Driver of a BRTC bus on Mohakhali-Gulshan road said his passengers left on foot, and he had to return them their money.

Jonaed Jahedi, assistant commissioner (Mohakhali) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said as the traffic was diverted to other streets, people faced congestion.

An ambulance with a patient stuck in traffic jam triggered by the protests. Photo: Prabir Das

After 5:00pm, when most people left offices, the tailbacks kept getting longer, he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, five students of Titumir College began a hunger strike, demanding that the institution be recognised as a University in its own right. Those five students along with several hundred others blocked the road yesterday.

Around 9 o' clock last night, a government delegation led by Joint Secretary Nuruzzaman of the education ministry, Titumir College Principal Shipra Rani Mondal and other officials talked with the students for over an hour, but no agreement was reached.

Habibullah Rony, a representative of the students, said the protesters would not break their fast and leave the street until Titumir was declared a university.

Addressing the students, Nuruzzaman said, "No one is saying that your demand is unreasonable. You have been fighting for 28 years, and we know you will eventually succeed. But declaring the college a university right now is not possible. There's a process. For now, please return home."

The institution established in 1968 currently functions under the National University.

The protesters also demand dormitories for all students, "internationally recognised" subjects, recruitment of teachers with PhDs, lowering the number of student admissions, and a research lab.

Students under the banner "Titumir Oikyo" demonstrated several times in the last few months. On Monday night, the group gave the government 48-hours to meet their demands.

On November 18, they blocked the same road. Several train carriages at Mohakhali level-crossing were vandalised at the time.