Dhaka, July 22 (Just News): Activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Sunday afternoon once again attacked several leaders of quota reform movement at Suhrawardy Udyan and on Elephant Road in the capital.
The latest attack on quota reform activists came just a day after prime minister Sheikh Hasina warned the BCL leaders against 'doing excesses' over the quota issue.
Around 350 students of Sadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad (Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council), a platform of quota reform movement, held a rally in front of the Raju Sculpture on Dhaka University (DU) campus around 3:00pm.
The joint conveners of the platform announced to hold protest rally at all educational institutes across the country on Wednesday protesting the BCL attacks and arrest of quota reformists.
Once the programme ended around 5:00pm, some BCL men allegedly followed quota movement's joint convener Boni Yeamin to the Suhrawardy Udyan and beat him up, witnesses said.
BCL central committee's joint secretary Didar Md Nizamul Islam allegedly led the attack.
Meanwhile, three joint conveners of the council -- Ratul Sarkar, Sohrab Hossain, Mozammel Niazi -- were also attacked in Elephant Road area.
The trio was returning home by a CNG auto-rickshaw. Some BCL men riding on four-five motor cycles halted them and dragged them out of the vehicle and beat them up severely.
Former BCL leader of Zahurul Haque Hall unit Aminul Islam and Bangabandhu Hall unit president Barikul Islam allegedly led the attack.
One of the victims, Ratul managed to flee the spot, and later disclosed details of the attack in a Facebook live.
In April, students of public and private universities across the country waged a movement demanding reforms in the quota system in public service recruitment process.
In the face of the movement, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on 11 April announced the abolition of quota in parliament.
As no gazette notification has so far been issued regarding the abolishment of the quota system as per the PM's declaration, the leaders and activists of Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council, a platform that leads the quota reform movement, resumed their protests at different public universities and they repeatedly came under attacks allegedly by BCL men.
Amid the movement, the prime minister on 12 July said in the parliament that it is not possible to change freedom fighters' quota in public jobs due to a High Court verdict.
(Justnews/ys/2320hr)
