Over a thousand students of BGC Trust University, Bangladesh yesterday blockaded the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway in front of their main campus in Chandanaish upazila of Chittagong demanding that the authorities make it clear whether their campus has UGC approval or not.

Hundreds of passengers suffered due to the one-and-a-half hours blockade that created 2km long tailbacks on both sides of the highway.

On information, Patiya and Chandanaish police rushed to the spot and managed to disperse the students around 12:30pm.

Contacted, Humayun Kabir Mridha, officer-in-charge of Chandanaish Police Station, said the students demonstrated demanding the authorities make it clear whether their main campus is legitimate as per the University Grants Commission rule or not.

"We made them understand that blocking the highway is not a solution to their problem," he said, adding that afterwards the students submitted a memorandum to the education minister through the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) and dispersed.

Contacted, Ishrat Reza, UNO of Chandanaish upazila, said the students requested the education minister to investigate

"unclear activities” of the university authorities.

She further said that the students alleged the authorities have not made it clear whether the campus is legal or not, adding that she has forwarded the memorandum to the deputy commissioner of Chittagong.

Prof Nurul Huda, registrar of the university, said the students demonstrated after receiving wrong information that the main campus was not

approved by the UGC.

However, as per the UGC advertisement published in different newspapers including The Daily Star today (Monday), only the city campus has been mentioned as not having the commission's approval, he said.

Denying the allegation of any unclear activities in operating the university, he said, "We have assured the students that there is no problem with our campus in Chandanaish."