Students on Thursday rejected the government's offer of talks to resolve the quota issue and said 'the situation created by the government does not permit discussions.'
Amid ongoing protests and clashes between the law enforcement agencies and protesting students across the country, the government on Thursday offered to hold talks with the students to meet their demands and resolve the crisis as soon as possible.
On instruction from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the law ministry on Thursday formed a judicial inquiry committee led by High Court Division judge Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman.
"No dialogue with bullets," coordinator of the quota movement Hasnat Abdullah said, adding they will not sit with the government and the movement will continue.
Earlier on the day, Law Minister Anisul Huq said that the government, in principle, agreed to reform the quota system in government jobs and wanted to sit with the protesters any time.
After meeting the Prime Minister at Ganabhaban , Anisul Huq told reporters, "We will sit with the protesters whenever they agree and, if they want, it may be today."
The discussion will be held whenever the agitating students agree to sit for talks," he said, adding that Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury will lead the government team in discussions with the students.
The Prime Minister has given the Law minister and the Education Minister the responsibility to meet with the students, he said, adding, "We will sit with them whenever they want. If they want it today, we can sit today."
"As the government has taken these decisions considering their demands, there is no need for the protesting students to continue their movement," the law minister said.
He requested the protesters to postpone the movement. "As a father figure, I am requesting you to move away from the protests."
After a meeting of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement leading the movement, its convener said, "We will not sit with the government in the prevailing situation."
"The government has created the situation by attacking the peaceful movement. The government is responsible for the situation. There is no situation of discussion now," he said.
Describing the government initiative as 'farcical' he said that the government will be responsible for everything if the university halls are not opened. The solution will come only by reforming quotas in government jobs. The farcical formation of judicial committee will not be accepted."
Asif Mahmud, one of the coordinators of the quota movement, rejected the proposal in a Facebook post.
Asif Mahmud said, "There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death for this betrayal."
"It's double speak from the government, while firing bullets, it's offering a dialogue. We can't sit for dialogue by stepping on our brothers' blood."
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of leading the country on the path of violence.
They said that the movement was peaceful until the government intervened.
They pledged that the movement will continue n until the demands were realised.
"We will continue our protests until we achieve the objective of quota reforms, the universities and the halls are reopened and the campuses are freed of terrorists by withdrawing political forces from the campuses and the killers and attackers are punished," said Asif Mahmud.
"People of the country have encircled those who had tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to foil our movement," he added.
