Staff Reporter:
Students and job seekers will bring out protest processions and hold rallies on campuses across the country today, demanding the passage of a law in parliament abolishing discriminatory quotas in all grades of government jobs, and bringing the quotas mentioned in the constitution for backward communities to a minimum level.
They will continue their movement until the law is passed in the Jatiya Sangsad by summoning an emergency session, said Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, while announcing the fresh programme on Thursday night after a huge rally in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area.
“An emergency session in parliament must be summoned to pass the law. And we will be taking to the streets until it is done. We will hold protest marches and rallies at all educational institutions across the country at 4pm on Friday,” he said.
Asif Mahmud, another coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, said on Thursday peaceful demonstrations of students came under attack which rather intensified the movement.
“Quota should be reformed in all grades in government jobs to build a merit-based country,” he added.
After the programme was announced, demonstrators left Shahbagh marching towards the Raju Memorial Sculpture.
On Thursday, students of different universities and job seekers took to the streets across Bangladesh, demanding a logical reformation in the quota system in public service.
They blocked highways and busy thoroughfares as part of their scheduled “Bangla Blockade” programme, halting traffic movement which caused immense suffering to commuters and travellers.
At places, demonstrators and police locked in clashes, resulting in injuries on both sides.
Quota protesters block Shahbagh
Students and job seekers blocked the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka to enforce their “Bangla Blockade” programme on Thursday afternoon.
Although they were scheduled to throng in front of the central library of Dhaka University around 3:30pm, it took them time to gather at the spot due to rain.
While several thousand demonstrators marched towards the busy intersection, a large number of the police took position there, erecting barricades to resist the blockade programme.
At one stage, the demonstrators removed the barriers and blocked Shahbagh around 5:10pm. They took position there for four hours, chanting various slogans in support of their demand.
Besides, activists and leaders of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of the ruling Awami League, also gathered at Madhur Canteen.
Comilla University students clash with police, block Dhaka-Ctg highway
Dozens of people, including students, journalists and law enforcers, were injured in a clash between the students of Comilla University and the police in the Ansar Camp area.
In the afternoon, demonstrating students started their march towards the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway from the university campus to enforce their blockade programme.
As police members barred them in the Ansar Camp area, the situation heated up. Both sides got into a scuffle.
The police baton-charged the demonstrators to disperse them while the latter pelted brick chips at the law enforcers. Police members also fired tear gas shells to control the situation.
The quota protesters later blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in the Kotbari area, halting traffic movement that caused immense suffering to travellers.
JU students block Dhaka-Aricha Highway
Students of Jahangirnagar University blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway this afternoon to enforce the Bangla Blockade programme.
The demonstrators brought out a procession on the campus around 4pm and gathered at the main gate.
Removing barricades, they took position on the highway, chanting slogans to reform the quota system.
Dhaka District Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Operations) Abdullahil Kafi said the students have been staging demonstrations for several days blocking the highway.
“As the people are suffering from it, we requested the demonstrators to stay inside the campus. Despite our request, they are staging demonstrations on Thursday blocking the highway. We remain alert to avoid any untoward incident,” he said.
The demonstrators, however, left the highway around 6:40pm, reports our correspondent.
Quota protesters demonstrate at two Ctg spots
Students of different educational institutions, including Chittagong University, staged demonstrations at two spots in the port city.
Sources said a group of students gathered at the Chattogram railway station and marched towards the Tigerpass intersection to observe the scheduled Bangla Blockade around 3:30pm.
The police barred them when they reached the intersection and allegedly baton-charged them to disperse.
Later, they gathered again in the Gate No-2 area where the police also chased and baton-charged them.
Despite the police action, the demonstrators blocked the busy thoroughfare, causing a suspension of traffic movement in the area.
Barisal University students block highway
Students of Barisal University blocked the Dhaka-Barisal Highway this afternoon demanding reform in the quota system in public service.
The students gathered on the highway adjacent to the university gate around 4pm amid the presence of a huge number of police members, reports UNB.
As the number of protesting students increased, the police retreated.
The road communication of Barishal with the rest of the country was halted due to the blockade. Hundreds of vehicles were stuck on both sides of the highway, creating extreme public suffering.
Passengers were seen walking several kilometers to reach their destinations.
