Students of Government Science High School and College took to the streets in demand of safe roads on Monday following the death of one of their fellow classmates in a road accident.

Md Ali Hossain, a 10th grader in the same college was killed as a microbus rammed into him in front of Tejgaon BG Press on Sunday.

Around 11:50am on Monday (12 September), the students blocked the roads on both sides in front of the police box in the Farmgate area of the capital.

They are now occupying only part of the road from Farmgate to Karwan Bazar, letting cars pass by.

Slogans given by students during the protest include - We Want Justice. We want safe roads. How many lives have to be lost before the roads will be safe? My brother is in the grave, why is the killer out? The administration must answer.

The whole area was filled with such slogans. Police removed them from one side, but later they occupied the road from Bijoy Sarani to Karwan Bazar area.

Imam Hossain Bayjid, a student of Science division of the Government Science School, said, "Our friend got hit by a microbus while coming to school yesterday. The administration is yet to identify the driver. We want proper punishment for the murderer and we want safe roads."

Tejgao Division Additional SP Rubaiyat Zaman said the police administration is saddened by the incident. 

Addressing the students he said, "We have seized the microbus and arrested the driver. Please do not create public nuisance."

He also said that a press briefing will be held around 4pm but did not mention the location of the briefing.

Protesting students then moved from Farmgate towards Bijoy Sarani. They again returned to Farmgate and blocked both sides of the road.

Earlier on Sunday, around 7am, in the Tejgaon industrial area of the capital, the 10th grader Md Ali Hossain, was hit by a microbus when he tried to cross the road.

"School student Ali Hossain, 17, was killed as a microbus rammed into him in front of Tejgaon BG Press," Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) Police Outpost In-Charge Bachchu Mia had told The Business Standard. 

He was rescued and taken to the Samorita Hospital in critical condition. When his condition worsened, he was brought to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where the doctor declared him dead.

He was the eldest son of Md Azmi, who along with his family lived in the Kunipara area of Tejgaon.

Earlier in 2018, from 29 July to 8 August students led mass protests demanding effective road safety in Bangladesh.

Two students of Sheheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College, Rajib and Dia, were killed and 10 students were injured in a collision between two high-speed buses on the airport road of the capital on 29 July 2018. 

The protest which was initiated by the classmates of the two college students who were killed in the road accident later spread across the country and the students took to the streets with a 9-point demand including the resignation of the shipping minister.

In addition, when Nayeem Hasan, a student of Notre Dame College was killed by a garbage truck in South City last year in November 2021, the students started protesting again.

Less than a week later in the same month, a student lost his life again in a race between two buses in the capital.