Thousands of students gather on street in front of RU defying rain

Students of various educational institutions in Rajshahi have started a protest procession defying heavy rain. University teachers as well as common public have also joined them.

The protesters gathered on the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway in front of the main gate of Rajshahi University (RU) towards 11:15 am today, Saturday.

Earlier, students from various educational institutions gathered in front of Rajshahi Science and Technology University (RSTU) around 10:30 am in the morning to bring out a protest procession according to the new programmes announced from Students against Discrimination, the platform leading the quota reform movement.

They were there till 11:00 am. The protesters at the time vandalised a police box at Talaimari intersection and carried out the procession tom the main gate of Rajshahi University. Some protesters were seen beating up a detective branch of police member there.

Nobody from the law enforcement agencies were seen anywhere near the protesters in today’s protest procession. Vehicular movement on that road remains closed as the road has been blocked.

The procession was moving towards city’s rail gate area via Talaimari intersection and Bhadra areas towards 12:30 pm. The front of the procession stretched up to Rajshahi railway station at that time. Local people also were joining in.

Additional deputy commissioner (media) of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP), Md Jamirul Islam said that the police force is on alert and a huge number of police personnel have been deployed.