Dhaka, Apr 11 (Just News): Protests for reduction of quota to 10 per cent from the existing 56 per cent in government jobs continued across the country on Wednesday and spread from public universities to private universities, the fourth consecutive day of the protests.
Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council threatened to boycott all classes and examinations across the country until specific announcement by the prime minister regarding quota reform.
The joint convener of the platform, Rashed Khan, at a press briefing in the morning on the Central Library premises in Dhaka University said they want a specific declaration from the prime minister.
Since morning protesters and students held demonstrations and blocked roads at Dhaka University, Jagannath University, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Chittagong University, Rangpur University, Rajshahi University and other campuses.
Students of private universities, including North South University, East West University, Daffodil University, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, State University of Bangladesh blocked roads in different areas in the capital and demonstrated extending their support to the five-point demands as well as protesting police attack on students at the Dhaka University.
City dwellers are experiencing huge traffic gridlocks on most of the roads in the capital due to road blockade.
Earlier in the morning, several hundred students of DU thronged in front of the Central Library and staged demonstration as part of their scheduled programme.
Students of Jagannath University are staging demonstration on Tantibazar Road.
Students of North South University and adjacent universities have blocked the Pragati Sarani in Banani while students of Green University blocked Begum Rokeya Sarani in Mirpur and students of Asia Pacific University are staging sit-in prgramme at Panthapath.
Students of Daffodil International University are staging demonstration on Mirpur Road while students of University Laboratory, Bangladesh and State University Bangladesh are staging demonstrations at Dhanmondi 27 and Shankar Intersection.
Besides, the students of Shahajalal University of Science and Technology took position in front of the university gate and staged demonstration for the fourth consecutive day over reform of the quota system. They also boycotted their classes and examinations.
Movements of university and shuttle buses remained halted as the students intercepted vehicular inside the campus.
Our Jahangirnagar University correspondent reports, around 5000 students of the university on Wednesday again blocked Dhaka-Arica Highway adjacent to the main entrance of the campus demanding the reformation of existing quota system in Bangladesh Civil Service and other government jobs.
Agitating students gathered in front of the university library around 9:30am as per their pre schedule programme, later they brought out a protest procession at the campus.
At around 10:30am, the procession took the street breaking the main entrance of the university and blocked the both side of the Dhaka-Aricha Highway, which is still continuing.
They chanted the slogans opposing the present quota system.
Huge traffic gridlocks have been created at both sides of the highway.
Abu Sayed, co-coordinator of the organisation said, ‘We are observing the blockade programme to press home our demand of reformation of quota system.’
Besides, students of Bangladesh Agricultural University have brought out a procession today demanding revision of quota system and protesting at the attack on a student of Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall of Dhaka University and condemning the speech of Matia Chowdhury, our correspondent reports.
Thousands of students gathered at Aamtala on the campus around 9:00am with placards.
Boycotting classes and exams, they paraded the campus chanting different slogans.
Meanwhile, students of Chittagong University have halted the movement of the Shuttle Trains from Sholoshahar area.
Students of Rangpur University are staging demonstration programme on the campus. Students of Barisal University have blocked the road in front of BM College.
Rajshahi University students have blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi Highway.
Earlier, the protesters announced boycott of classes and examinations at all universities and colleges and blockade of highways from 10:00am to 7:00pm daily for an indefinite period from today.
A group of the protesters, who announced postponement of the protests for a month on Monday, resumed the protests and joint the continuing protesters Tuesday evening demanding withdrawal of agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury’s derogatory comments made on Monday terming them ‘sons of razakar’ and finance minister AMA Muhith’s remarks made on Tuesday that reform of existing quota system was not possible before the next budget.
The protesters demanded that Matia Chowdhury mus apologise for her comments made in the parliament on Monday reportedly terming them ‘children of Razakars.’
Over the quota system, she said the government did not want to create any Dhaka-based elite class to pave ways for getting jobs.
Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, the platform of the protesting students, started the latest round of movement on Sunday and central leaders on Monday evening coming out from a meeting with road transport and bridges minister Obaidaul Quader suspended their protests.
Parishad convener Hasan Al Mamun, also vice-president of Dhaka University’s Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall unit Chhatra League, announced the decision as Quader promised that the government would review the quota system in government job.
Many protesters, however, rejected the decision and continued the protests.
The protesters are on the streets since February for the five-point demands, including recruitment of jobseekers in vacant posts on the basis of merit if eligible candidates were not found under the quota, an end to special recruitment tests for quota candidates and a single age limit for all jobseekers.
They are on the street as 56 per cent quotas are reserved in government jobs – 30 per cent for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren, 10 per cent for women, 10 per cent for districts lagging behind, 5 per cent for ethnic minorities and 1 per cent for physically challenged people.
(Justnews/ys/1320hr)
