The students, protesting against the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs, on Tuesday announced that they will enforce a daylong “Bangla Blockade" across the country on Wednesday as part of their movement which started a week ago.
The blockade will start from 10am and end at sunset. The protesters will also enforce the blockade on the railways this time as well.
Nahid Islam, coordinator of the Boishommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon, announced the event at a press conference in front of Dhaka University Central Library on Tuesday.
Presenting the overall situation of the movement and their demands, another coordinator Hasnat Abdullah said, "The movement we are carrying out is not a movement to abolish quota. Our movement is demanding the reformation of the quota system at the level of rightness in view of reality.”
“We want the implementation of our one-point demand by the executive branch of the government and the government as a whole."
Earlier, they announced their one-point demand — "Abolish unreasonable and discriminatory quotas in all grades; the quota system should be reformed by passing a law in parliament by bringing the quota to the minimum level for the backward groups mentioned in the constitution."
Hasnat said, "We are not opposing the quota for freedom fighters. We have never questioned the honour of freedom fighters. We have raised questions about the quota of the grandchildren of freedom fighters."
"We, the agitating students, have unanimously decided that only a 5 per cent quota should be kept for government jobs. Only the children of freedom fighters, minorities and people with disabilities will be covered under this quota," he added.
Meanwhile, two Dhaka University students filed an application with the Appellate Division on Tuesday morning seeking a stay on the effectiveness of High Court order reinstating the freedom fighter quota in public service.
At around 11am, they sought permission from the court to submit the application. Judge Ashfaqul Islam gave the permission. Later, the application was filed with the concerned branch of the Appellate Division at around 12:30pm.
The hearing on the application will be held in full bench of the Appellate Division on Wednesday.
Regarding the development, another coordinator Sajis Alom said, "It is not part of our movement. They are general students of the university who made the move on their volition. We are, however, supporting them."
"It does not matter what the judgment comes from this appeal, our demand concerns the executive branch. The High Court has nothing to do with our demand. The movement will continue until our demands are met," he added.
