Protests continue across the country

Protests for reduction of quota to 10 per cent from the existing 56 per cent in government jobs continued across the country on Wednesday for the fourth consecutive day of the protests and spread from public universities to private universities.

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 reformation.

The joint convener of the platform, Rashed Khan, at a press briefing in the morning on the Central Library premises of Dhaka University said that they wanted 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 International University, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, and State University of Bangladesh, blocked roads in different areas in the capital and held demonstrations extending their support to the five-point demands as well as protesting at police attack on students on the Dhaka University campus.

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 programme 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 boycotting classes and examinations.

Our Jahangirnagar University correspondent reports, around 5000 students of the university blocked Dhaka-Arica Highway adjacent to the main entrance of the campus.

Agitating students gathered in front of the university library around 9:30am as per their pre-scheduled programme and later they brought out a protest procession on the campus.

The procession took the street breaking the main entrance of the university and blocked both side of the Dhaka-Aricha Highway around10:30am, which is still continuing.     

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.’

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 that they would boycott classes and examinations at all universities and colleges across the country and block highways from 10:00am to 7:00pm daily for an indefinite period from Wednesday.

A group of the protesters announced postponement of the protests for a month on Monday.

But they resumed the protests on 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 said that reformation of existing quota system would not be possible before the next budget.

The protesters demanded that Matia Chowdhury must apologise for her comments made in the parliament.

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.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net