ZCZC
BSS-47
PROTEST-SHAHBAGH
Students block Shahbagh for rescheduling of city polls
DHAKA, Jan 14, 2020 (BSS) – Students of Dhaka University (DU) today blocked the Shahbagh intersection for about one and half hour demanding rescheduling of elections date to two Dhaka city corporations as the election date coincides with Saraswati Puja.
As many as 500 students blocked the capital’s busy intersection around 5:00 pm which continued till 6:30 pm, said eyewitnesses.
Students came to street, just three hours after the High Court has turned down a writ petition seeking its directive to defer the elections to the two Dhaka city corporations as it coincides with the Saraswati Puja of the Hindu.
While speaking, chief coordinator of the movement, also VP of Jagannath hall union Utpal Das, said, “If the election date is not changed by tomorrow we will block the office of Election Commission.”
Terming such decision against the Constitution, Utpal demanded resignation of the officials behind fixing of the date.
The blocked caused severe traffic gridlock to the areas of New Elephant Road, Farmgate intersection and Gulistan and DU gateways.
On January 6, Advocate Ashoke Kumar Ghosh, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the writ petition seeking its directive to defer the polls as Saraswati Puja, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Hindu, will be celebrated across the country on the day.
On December 22, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda announced that the elections of Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City will be held on January 30.
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