Anti-quota protesters will announce their next course of action at Dhaka University Central Library premises on Saturday afternoon.
On Friday afternoon, hundreds of protesters blocked Shahbag Intersection in the capital for an hour protesting the police action on students at different universities of the country during the 'Bangla Blockade' on Thursday (July 11).
Abu Baker Mazumder, one of the key coordinators of the protests, declared that all the coordinators of the anti-quota movement across the country will join a representatives' meeting both online and offline platforms from the campuses throughout the day on Saturday. At the same time, pre-announced programmes of boycotting classes and examinations will continue.
"We will take our decision consulting with our coordinators across the country. The we will announce the decision holding a press conference in front of the Dhaka University Central Library at 6:00pm on Saturday," Baker Mazumder said.
Mazumder alleged that police charged batons and lobbed teargas shells on "our brothers and sisters" at different universities including Cumilla Universuty, Chattogram University, Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University on Thursday. "At Rajshahi University, the ruling party-backed student organisation's president slapped our coordinator. We strongly protest and condemn such action and assult. Assuring our coordinators, I want to say that if someone attack us, we will build all-out resistance against them."
Earlier at about 4:15pm, a demonstration was held in front of the Dhaka University Central Library. Then the students brought out a procession which went through different strategic points of the university and subsequently assembled at Shahbag Intersection at 5:15pm.
Later around 4.30pm, students of Dhaka College came to Shahbagh with procession and joined the students of Dhaka University
From there, they chanted slogans seeking justice against the police attacks and Chhatra League assaults on general students.
The demonstration broke up around 6.20pm, with Baker Mazumdar announcing Saturday's program before leaving Shahbag.
The quota system, which reserved 56 per cent of positions in government jobs for various quotas, was abolished in 2018. This decision was challenged in 2021 by descendants of freedom fighters, leading to a High Court ruling on June 5, 2024, declaring the abolition of the freedom fighters' quota, which ran to 30 per cent, illegal.
The government subsequently moved the Chamber Court of the Appellate Division to suspend the High Court order. The Appeallate Division on Thursday issued an order to maintain status quo for four weeks on the High Court judgment to reinstate the freedom fighter quota system for first and second-class government jobs.
At the same time, the Appeallate Division directed the state and students to file a leave to appeal against the High Court judgement. The court also fixed August 7 for the next hearing on the matter.
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