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Quota protesters block highways

Coordinators meet govt officials

Published : Monday, 8 July, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 160
DU Correspondent
Quota protesters on Sunday blocked highways across the country including major intersections in the capital to realise their demand of  abolition of illogical and discriminatory quotas in all grades of government jobs.

Replacing previous four-point demand, the protesters on Sunday raised one-point demand of passing a law by parliament, abolishing quotas in n government jobs.

They said the government can consider quotas in rational percentage for only backward communities in the country.

However, Coordinators of the Anti-discriminatory Student Movement, Hasnat Abdullah, Nahid Islam and Sarjis Alam - met law enforcers on Sunday evening.

However, they did not disclose the outcome of the hour-long discussions.

Naming the countrywide blockade as Bangla Blockade, Hasnat Abdullah announced that their countrywide sit-in demonstrations will continue for an indefinite period.

He said students will hold demonstrations on their respective campuses and block highways close to their campuses, simultaneously. Students have been refraining from attending classes and examinations.  

On Sunday, students of Dhaka University (DU) and other educational institutions in the capital blocked major intersections in the capital including Shahbagh, Nilkhet, Science Lab, Bakshi Bazar, Karwan Bazar, Bangla Motor, Chankarpool, Agargaon, Hotel Intercontinental and Mohakhali.

Thousands of DU students gathered in front of the universitys Central Library at 3:00pm and later in a procession paraded different roads on the campus.

A section of DU students first blocked the Chankharpul Intersection  at around 3:30pm.

Later, at around 3:50pm, hundreds of students blocked the Shahbagh Intersection. The blockade was lifted at around 8:00pm.

Students of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University blocked the road close to their campus in the capitals Agargaon at around 3:45pm. Students of Dhaka College and nearby institutions blocked the Science Lab Intersection and the roads leading to it at around 1:30pm.

 Hundreds of students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway close to their campus for around two hours.

They left the busy highway at around 1:00pm, AFM Sayeed, Officer-in-Charge of Ashulia Police Station told reporters.

They began their protest march from the campus and took position at the Dairy Gate area at around 11:00 am. Students of Barishal University blocked the Barishal-Kuakata Highway in protest against restoration quotas in government jobs.

Students started their protest march from the campus and took position at the Nathullabad Bus Stand area at around 11:30am.

The demonstrations led to long tailbacks on both sides of the highway. Students of Chittagong University and other educational institutions in the city blocked Gate No. 2 Intersection for two hours from 4:00pm to 6:00pm and Lalkhan Bazar for one hour.

Comilla University students blocked Dhaka-Chattogram Highways at 3:30pm, causing severe traffic jam on the busy road. Students of Jesshore Science and Technology University blocked Dhaka-Chawgacha Road in front of the universitys main gate for one hour, beginning at 3:30pm. For the second day, students of Bangladesh Agricultural University students blocked railways passing by it in Mymensingh.

Meanwhile, seven left-leaning student organisations including Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Bangladesh Chhatra Maitree, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Ganatantrik Chhatra Front, Brihattar Parbatya Chattogram Pahari Chhatra Parishad, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation and Biplobi Chhatra Juba Andolon on Sunday held a press conference at DU Madhur Canteen expressing solidarity with the quota protesters.

Reading out from a written statement, Chhatra Union President Rageeb Nayeem said complete abolition of quotas in 2018 was a whimsical decision of the government.

The left leaning student bodies demanded logical reforms of quotas in government jobs.

They demanded formation of  a commission comprising experts and representatives from different communities.

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.

In the wake of a mass movement in 2018, the Public Administration Ministry issued a circular on October 4 abolishing quotas in first and second class government jobs.

Following a writ petition, the High Court Division on June 5, 2024 declared as invalid the circular issued in 2018  cancelling Freedom Fighters quota in government jobs.

On July 4, the Appellate Division upheld the decision of the High Court Division.



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