A group of students under the banner of "Karigori Chhatra Andolon" blocked the Satrasta Mor in Dhaka's Tejgaon today, causing severe traffic jam and suffering for city commuters.

Hundreds of students gathered in the intersection around 11:30am, said a traffic sergeant of the area.

Due to their blockade, the road from Farmgate to Shahbagh via Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue was almost at a standstill from around midday until 2:00pm, when this report was filed.

Severe congestion was also seen in Eskaton, Moghbazar, and Hatirjheel areas of the capital, with traffic backing up on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway's off ramps in Farmgate and Hatirjheel.

Intense traffic in Karwan Bazar. Photo: Prabir Das

The "Karigori Chhatra Andolon", who claim to be made up of students under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board, including students of public and private polytechnic institutes, and technical schools and colleges, blocked the road with a six-point demand.

Their demands include ensuring four-year courses for diploma engineering and a six-month duration for each semester.

Traffic tailing back on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway's Farmgate off ramp. Photo: Tuhin Subhra Adhikary

They also demanded a hundred percent seat allocation for diploma engineering students in the four proposed engineering colleges to enhance opportunities for higher education.

They demanded prompt transfer from the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) and all institutions of all craft instructors who were "controversially appointed" in 2021.

They also demanded reformation of the Technical Education Board and employing no manpower other than those with technical education to administer the technical education sector.

Other demands included reserving the 10th-grade post of sub-assistant engineer for diploma engineers, and amending the "controversial" recruitment rules of the DTE and recruiting technical manpower in empty posts to solve the teacher crisis.