Mohakhali blockade halts Dhaka's rail link

Rail communication between Dhaka and the most of the country has been suspended as students of Titumir College blocked Mohakhali rail tracks.

The students blocked the tracks as well as the roads at the intersection around 11:00am, demanding that their college be upgraded to a university, our photojournalist Prabir Das reports from the spot.

The train service came to a halt from 11:45am, said Khairul Kabir, divisional transport officer, Dhaka.

The protesting students blocked the rail tracts in Mohakhali around 11:00am this morning. Photo: Prabir Das

"We want our college to be upgraded to a university and won't leave the tracks until our demands are met," said Shihab, a first year-student of Titumir.

The students stopped Dhaka-bound Agnibina Express from Jamalpur's Tarakandi and hurled brick chips, a railway official told The Daily Star.

Later, the train reversed and pulled away from Mohakhali, he said.

The students kept another train waiting on the tracks at 12:07pm, our photojournalist added.

Contacted around 12:15pm, Joynal Abedin, officer-charge of Kamalapur Police Station, said they heard the incident and a team was on way to the spot.

Police and Army were deployed to the scene around 12:30pm and were seen engaging in dialogue with the protesters.