On Friday evening, students of Dhaka College blocked a major road in the city to demand the renovation of a dormitory building that is highly vulnerable to earthquakes. The protest, which lasted roughly an hour, disrupted traffic along the Mirpur–Newmarket route, creating significant congestion, according to local police.
The demonstration began around 10:30 pm when approximately 200 students from multiple departments marched through the campus and onto the main road. They shouted slogans condemning alleged administrative negligence and corruption while demanding immediate action to address the unsafe conditions of Akhtaruzzaman Elias Hall. The hall, officially deemed abandoned, continues to house students, raising fears for their safety.
Following a tremor earlier in the morning, students said their anxiety over the structural integrity of the hall reached a peak. Reports indicated that portions of the building shook noticeably during the earthquake, which many students interpreted as a warning that the hall could be at risk of collapse.
After nearly an hour of disruption, the principal, AKM Elias, met with the students at the scene and urged them to clear the road. The protest ended peacefully, and traffic resumed shortly afterwards, said Superintendent AKM Mahfuzul Haque of Newmarket Police Station.
An English department student, requesting anonymity, stated, “Even though the hall has been declared unsafe, students were still admitted this year. We have demanded a proper rebuild for a long time. With no progress, we had no choice but to take to the streets.”
The protest underscores the tensions between student safety concerns and administrative delays, highlighting the need for urgent infrastructure improvements in historic educational institutions.