Students, protesting against the quota system reinstatement in government jobs, have announced that they will conduct a day-long representative meeting online and offline across the country on Saturday.
Abu Baker Mazumdar, coordinator of the Boishommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon, announced the event after a protest process at Shahabag intersection on Friday.
Mazumdar added, “We will conduct a representative meeting online and offline in all universities and college campuses on saturday across the country, and organise a press conference at 6pm for the next programme at Dhaka University’s central library area.
“We strongly condemn the attacks on students across the country. Journalists were attacked in Cumilla University. The police hit a journalist with a stick and cracked his head. We demand that these attackers be brought to justice.”
On Friday, a large protest rally started from Dhaka University's Central Library area at around 4.45pm.
Several hundreds of the university’s students joined in the procession, which progressed via Arts faculty, VC Chattar, TSC and finally blockaded the Shahbagh intersection for the twelfth consecutive days. The protesters stayed there till 5.20pm.
The students chanted several slogans including "Police diye andolon; bondho kora jabe nah," "Hamla kore andolon; bondho kora jabe nah," "Dofa Ek Dabi Ek, Quota Not Comeback," "Principle of Constitution/ Liberation War, Equality of Opportunity," "Bury The Quota System," "No Place for Discriminations in My Sonar Bangla," "Medhabi Der Kanna Ar Na Ar Na," and "Keep The Country's Talent in The Country, Abolish the Quota System."
Meanwhile, Anti-quota protesters blocked the Shahbagh intersection again on Friday, demanding the cancellation of the government job quota system and reinstatement of a 2018 circular.
Although anti-quota protesters announced countrywide rallies on campuses in response to Thursday's police action on students in several locations outside Dhaka, students of Dhaka University and Dhaka College blocked Shahbagh intersection around 5:20pm.
Dhaka University students brought out a rally from the central library around 5pm and gathered at Shahbagh intersection. Later, students of Dhaka College joined the protest.
