Students of Rabindra University blocked the railway in Ullapara, Sirajganj, on Wednesday (August 13), demanding the rapid approval and implementation of the Development Project Proposal (DPP) for the construction of a permanent campus. The blockade halted train services between Dhaka and the northern region.
The students obstructed the railway tracks around 9:00 am, raising various slogans during the protest.
Around 10:30 am, Ullapara Railway Station Master Masum Ali confirmed the incident to Jago News. He said that the students had gathered at the station at 9:00 am and blocked the railway, temporarily halting train operations. Consequently, the Dhaka-bound Dhumketu Express is currently stationed at Jamtoil, while the Silk City Express is halted at Mohanpur.
He added that the disruption would inevitably affect train schedules, depending on the duration of the blockade.
Railway sources reported that around 30 passenger trains run daily on this route, along with 2–3 freight trains. Among them, 10 trains have scheduled stops at Ullapara Station.
The students said that despite the university being established nine years ago, the DPP for constructing the permanent campus in Shahjadpur, Sirajganj, has not yet been approved. Frustrated by the lack of response to their long-standing demands, they have resorted to this strict form of protest.
Assistant Station Master Monirul Islam said that local police and railway police were deployed during the blockade to ensure railway security and that higher authorities were informed of the situation.