Defying barricades set up by leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), thousands of Dhaka University (DU) students on Thursday blocked the Shahbagh Intersection for the third consecutive day to realise their demand for abolishing quota system in government jobs.
They blocked the intersection in the capital at 12:15pm and moved away from the streets at 6:20pm, causing severe traffic jams in surrounding areas for over six hours.
As per their pre-scheduled programme, students and job aspirants gathered in front of the DU Central Library and brought out a procession at 11:00pm.
Bringing out a rally, the protesters paraded key points on the DU campus, marching towards the Shahbagh intersection.
Before 11:00am, students alleged Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders and activists of different hall units to have obstructed the protesters from attending the rally.
Visiting Masterda Surja Sen Hall of the university, this correspondent found that post aspirants and followers of BCL President Saddam Hussain, General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Enan, DU unit President Mazharul Kabir Shoyon and General Secretary Tanbir Hasan Shaikat locked the gate of the hall and asked the besieged students to move away from in front of the gate.
When the rally beginning from DU Central Library reached the Surja Sen Hall, the BCL leaders unlocked the gate and let a group of students to attend the rally.
In other dormitories, several protesters seeking anonymity told the Daily Observer that BCL leaders did not lock the hall gates but warned students of dire consequences if they attended the Quota Reform Movement.
However, BCL insiders told this correspondent that top leaders did not instruct the hall candidates to bar students from attending the movement.
They instructed only the hall leaders to refrain from attending the rally, and what they did to common students was the result of over enthusiasm.
Contacted, Enan said he was unaware of the incidents.
"I need to learn the matter before commenting on it," Enan said.
When asked if they had issued any instruction to the hall leaders regarding the Quota Reform Movement, Enan skipped the question.
At the Shahbagh intersection, protesters chanted slogans such as Sara Banglay Khobor De, Quota Prothar Kobor De, Medha Na Quota, Medha Medha, and Amar Sonar Banglay, Boishommer Thai Nai.
Besides, they sang patriotic songs in chorus.
Under the banner of Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement, students said the illogical and discriminatory quota is opposed to the ideals of the Liberation War.
Hasnat Abdullah, one of the coordinators of the movement, said Valiant Freedom Fighters sacrificed their lives to unshackle the people from the discrimination and suppression done by the then West Pakistani rulers.
Another coordinator Nahid Islam announced that students will hold public relations online and offline and countrywide coordination on Friday, demonstrate at all colleges and universities at 3:00pm on Saturday and boycott classes and examinations and launch strike on Sunday.
The protesters also demanded formation of a commission to remove irrational and discriminatory quotas in all grades of government jobs, but for the backward communities and only for once, if there is no candidate from backward communities the vacancies should be filled up on the basis of merit by taking effective steps to ensure a corruption-free, fair and merit-based recruitment.
DU Finance Department Chairman Prof M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury went to the Shahbagh intersection and expressed solidarity with the protesters.
University Teachers Association of Bangladesh (UTAB) issued a statement expressing solidarity with the agitating students.
Signed by President Prof ABM Obaidul Islam and General Secretary Prof M Morshed Hasan Khan, UTAB expressed deep concern about the High Court Divisions decision to reinstate the quota system in government jobs.
The statement said, "Bangladesh became independent 53 years ago. Quota can never be a substitute for merit in such an independent sovereign country. Hence, the movement of lakhs of job-seeking young students demanding abolition of quota system in government jobs is not only relevant, but very fair and logical."
"There is no alternative to merit-based recruitment to ensure equality, human dignity and social justice, the motto of the Liberation War, and to build an efficient administration," said the statement.
Jahangirnagar University students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, calling for the abolition of the quota system in government jobs and the enforcement of merit-based recruitment.
Jagannath University students held a protest rally for the fourth consecutive day. The agitating students blocked various roads of Old Dhaka for an hour at noon.
A procession, beginning from the main gate of the university, paraded the entire campus and blocked the road in front of the main gate for an hour. They also blocked Raisaheb Bazar intersection.
Chittagong University students demonstrated on the campus at 11:00am, following a gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar of the university.
Meanwhile, Comilla University students blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram highway for three hours protesting the SC upholding, till further order, the High Court verdict that reinstated the quota system in government jobs.
From 12:30pm the students staged a sit-in on the busy highway. They left the highway around 3:30pm after the districts Deputy Commissioner Khandaker M Musfiqur Rahman and Superintendent of Police Abdul Mannan rushed there and assured them to convey their message to the government.
Several hundred students of Rajshahi University blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway for over two hours.
Starting from the universitys Paris Road area around 10:00am, students from different departments marched through the campus and took position in front of the main gate.
Around 12:30pm, the agitating students finally left the highway and returned to the campus.
Student of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University blocked the road near their university in the capitals Agargaon in protest of the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs.
They later marched and blocked the Begum Rokeya Sarani around 1:00pm, Ahad Ali, Officer-in-Charge of Sher-E-Bangla Police Station, told reporters.
