Student`s anti-VAT demo hits city traffic again

As part of their ongoing movement protesting the imposition of Value Added Tax (VAT) on tuition fees, students of private universities brought out processions and blocked roads across the country, including Dhaka and Sylhet cities, on Sunday, reports UNB.

In Dhaka city, the movement of vehicles on the roads in Uttara areas from Abdullahpur, and Dhanmondi-Mirpur road and Kuril Biswa Road to Malbagh area have already come to a standstill, slowing down the overall city traffic, police said.

Daffodil University students brought out a possession from the main gate of the university around 10:30am and staged demonstration blocking Dhanmondi-Mirpur road in Dhanmondi-27 area.

Around 10am, East West University students brought a procession from the university at Aftabnagar and barricaded the Rampura-Badda road. They chanted slogans demanding the withdrawal of VAT.

Students of several other private universities took to the streets in Uttara near Azampur around 10:30am, disrupting traffic on both sides of the Airport-Tongi road.

Chase and counter-chase took place between police and students as the law enforcers tried to obstruct them.

In Sylhet city, Leading University students staged demonstration in Purbo Bandarbazar area and barricaded the road around 10:30am.

At the same time, students of seven other private universities brought out processions in the city.

Earlier on July 4, the NBR issued a notification imposing 7.5 percent VAT on the tuition fees of the private universities and medical colleges, triggering protests by the students.