Cuet protests: 48-hour transport strike in Ctg called from 6am tomorrow

The Greater Chattogram Public Transport Owners and Workers Unity Council today (27 April) called a 48-hour transport strike amid the ongoing student protests over the deaths of two Chattogram University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) students.

"The strike will be effective from tomorrow 6:00am and will continue for the next 48 hours," the council's member secretary Mohammad Musa said at a meeting this afternoon.

Demanding security of property and lives of transport workers, Musa alleged that their vehicles were burnt despite the issue related to the deaths of two students was resolved.   

"We have outlined a four-point demand including protesting the burning of vehicles," he added.

On 22 April, two Cuet students — Shanto Saha, a 3rd year student and Tawfiq Hasan, a 2nd year student of Civil engineering department, died when a bus of "Shah Amanat Paribahan: hit a motorbike on Chattogram-Kaptai road at Zianagar in Rangunia upazila.

As soon as the news spread, some Cuet students vandalised three buses and set one more on fire on that day.

The students took to the streets boycotting classes and examinations and continued their protests blocking the Chattogram-Kaptai road by setting fire on logs and tyres to press home their 10-point demand for safe road.

They demanded arrest of the bus driver and his assistant and their exemplary punishment.

The other demands include providing compensation to the deceased and bearing the medical expenses of the student injured in the accident, establishment of modern treatment centre with all facilities on the campus, proving ambulances with modern equipment, stopping movement of all local buses including Shah Amanat and AB Travels on the road, examining licenses of the buses and CNG-run auto-rickshaws that ply the road, making the Student Welfare Council under accountable and forming students representative group.

On 24 April, the bus driver Md Tazul Islam was arrested from the Kotwali area of Chattogram city.

On 25 April, the Cuet was declared closed for an indefinite period and they were asked to vacate their dormitories.

Protesting the move, the students locked the vice-chancellor's office and set fire to one of the two buses confiscated by them.

Considering the circumstances, the Cuet administration held a meeting with the protesting students at night of the same day.

Later, the students postponed their movement and said they would return to academic activities.

On 26 April, the Cuet authority decided to keep campus closed till 9 May after holding an emergency meeting of the syndicate committee.