Bhubaneswar, 16 July (H.S.): Normal life in Balasore came to a grinding halt on Wednesday as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) observed a bandh, protesting the tragic death of a second-year B.Ed student from Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College. The student had reportedly succumbed to severe burn injuries after allegedly being pushed to suicide due to inaction on her sexual harassment complaint.

The bandh, which began at 6 AM and is scheduled to continue until 2 PM, witnessed widespread shutdown across the town. Shops, markets, government offices, educational institutions, and private establishments remained closed, while vehicular movement was severely disrupted.

BJD workers took to the streets early in the morning, staging demonstrations at major intersections. Holding placards and posters, they raised slogans demanding justice for the victim and a judicial probe into the incident.

The regional party has intensified its agitation, squarely blaming the state government for what it called a complete collapse of institutional accountability and governance. BJD leaders said the bandh is a reflection of public outrage and a call for urgent systemic reforms to protect students and ensure justice.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda