Jakia Sultana Sumi, first year student of philosophy department and resident of Pritilata Hall, perished on the spot under an export-processing zone (EPZ) bound staff bus. The vehicle coming from wrong side ran over her at around 8:30am, witnesses said.

The incident cast a pall of gloom on the campus. Students barricaded the highway and vandalised a number of vehicles, halting traffic movement for about 12 hours from 9:00am to 8:30pm. Thousands of passengers including women and children in buses bound for or leaving the capital remained stranded on both sides of the blockade.

Sumi was waiting for a bus near the Dairy Farm Gate opposite the campus to go to her uncle's house at Taltola of Khilgaon in the capital as the university was closed on the occasion of Janmastami yesterday. She hailed from Sadar Ponkobila in Narail.

The demonstrators demanded construction of speed breakers at important points on the road and setting up of traffic police boxes where required.

The university authorities held an emergency syndicate meeting to take decisions on the students' demands.

Vice-chancellor Khandaker Mustahidur Rahman assured the students of fulfilling their demands and they lifted the barricade at 8:30 pm.

The protesters warned that if the demands are not met by September 13, they will go for agitation from the next day.

As tension and grief runs high on the campus, a large number of riot police have been deployed at nearby C&B and Bishmile points to avert any untoward incidents.

Earlier on Sunday night, two sugar-laden trucks went out of order on the road near the spot where the accident took place yesterday, affecting normal traffic movement.

Sumi died 10 minutes after she was run over but no-one came forward to take her to hospital. This saddened the students so much that they vandalised about 10 roadside shops and set fire to three. They set three buses, four trucks, three CNG- run three-wheelers and five pick-up vans ablaze.

Sumi was taken to the university medical at 9:15am where a doctor confirmed her death.

A disconsolate Koli, Sumi's friend, said, " I can't bring myself to believe Sumi is no more." Many other students echoed her.

Daughter of late Sajjad Mohammad Yunus, Sumi came to the campus only 10 days ago and attended only one class. Their classes began on August 28.

The university medical centre turned into a spot of mourners as students, teachers and others thronged it to have a last glimpse of Sumi. Her namaz-e-janaza was held on Shaheed Minar premises on the campus at around 2:15pm and her body was sent home in a university bus. She will be buried at their family graveyard today.

The university authorities and Savar police filed separate cases.

"We are finding it difficult to avert accidents here as the home and communications ministries are yet to meet our repeated requests to take initiatives for this," the VC said.

Meanwhile, seven people including associate professor of English department Kawsar Hossain have been killed so far in road accidents near the campus. Kawsar was killed on February 1, 2002.