Job aspirants and students who have been demanding abolition of quotas in government jobs on Thursday blocked highways and railways across the country for the fourth day, defying police barricades.
The agitators clashed with police in various places including Shahbagh in the capital and Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University at Agargaon on Thursday.
At least 20 students of Comilla University (CoU) and 10 of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University at Agargaon were reportedly injured in clashes with law enforcers while the police tried to disperse them by charging batons and firing tear shells.
Meanwhile, Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the Anti-discriminatory Student Movement, announced that students across the country will hold protest demonstrations on their respective campuses at 4:00pm on Friday in protest against the police attacks at two universities.
The protesters demanded the national parliament pass a law, proposing a maximum of 5 per cent quota in government jobs for the children of freedom fighters, backward communities and persons with physical disabilities.
Thousands of Dhaka University (DU) students gathered in front of the universitys Central Library at around 3:30pm and in a procession paraded different roads on the campus.
They blocked the Shahbagh Intersection at 5:00pm for around four hours to realise their demand to abolish quotas in government jobs.
However, police removed protesters from the Nilkhet Intersection and Science Lab area, restricting their prescheduled Bangla Blockade to only the Shahbagh Intersection in the capital.
The agitators, being dispersed from the intersections joined the sit-in demonstration at the Shahbagh Intersection later on.
Our Jagannath University (JnU) Correspondent added students of the university joined the sit-in protest at the Shabagh Intersection in the evening after forcibly breaking the lock of the universitys main gate at around 4:15pm.
While marching towards Shahbagh, they defied several police barricades at different points including the Shankhari Bazar intersection, in front of the CMM Court, at the Tantibazar intersection and Gulistan Zero Point.
Our Jahangirnagar University (JU) Correspondent reported that students of the university blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway at around 4:00pm, defying obstructions caused by the university administration and law enforcers.
The protesters broke the lock of the main gate at that time.
JU Proctor Prof Alamgir Kabir said, "We tried to convince them several times but they refused to consider our request, leading to blockade."
The blockade on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway was lifted at around 6:45pm.
Quota protesters alleged that at least 20 students, including two campus correspondents of Comilla University, were injured as police charged batons on the students protesting restoration of quotas in government jobs in front of the campus in the afternoon.
Witnesses said, the protesters were chanting slogans against the police in the Ansar Camp area near the university, which led to a scuffle with the police.
Following the scuffle, police charged batons to disperse them, and the students responded by throwing brick chunks at the police, they said.
In protest against the police attack, CoU students blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway later on.
Rajshahi University (RU) students blocked Dhaka-Rajshahi rail route at 6:15pm, protesting the attack on CoU students by police during a blockade demanding abolition of quotas in government jobs.
Students of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University blocked roads close their campus at Agargaon.
At least 10 students suffered injuries as police charged protesters at She-e-Bangla Agricultural University with batons, protesters claimed.
"Students were going to lay siege to Agargaon, but we restrained them," Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Tejgaon zone Deputy Commissioner (DC) HM Azimul Haque told reporters.
Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) blocked the Sylhet-Sunamganj highway, breaking police barricade in front of the universitys main gate.
The police, at that time, were seen charging batons on the students to disperse them.
SUST Proctor Prof Kamruzzaman Chowdhury tried to resist students from blocking roads, but went in vein.
Students of Barishal University blocked the Barishal-Kuakata highway in the afternoon.
The students gathered on the highway adjacent to the university gate around 4:00pm defying obstruction from the police.
Under the banner of Anti-discriminatory Student Movement, students of Islami University blocked the Kushtia-Khulna highway in the afternoon.
While enforcing a railway and highway blockade, students of Chittagong University (CU) and its affiliated colleges were subjected to two rounds of baton charge by police at citys Tigerpass in the evening.
Despite being dispersed multiple times, the protesters have maintained their position on the road.
In protest against the police attack, CU students later on blocked the Chattogram-Khagrachari highway.
Public university students have been demonstrating on their respective campuses by blocking highways and railways since July 1, to press home their demand of introduction of merit-based recruitment and abolition of quotas in government jobs.
