Students of Dhaka University, Jagannath University and seven colleges and all colleges of Dhaka (under the National University) will stage demonstrations on July 3 and 4 protesting reinstatement of quota in government jobs.
Students announced the protest programme in front of the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture on Monday demanding the restoration of the 2018 circular abolishing quota in government jobs.
The agitating students of Dhaka University brought out a procession from Dhaka University central library to the Raju Sculpture on Monday morning.
Nahid Hasan, a student, said, “We will again start our movement to restore the 2018 circular. I urge students to join us in this movement and coordinate with us.”
He said they will start a march from Dhaka University’s central library on Tuesday. He also expressed solidarity with the teachers’ movement demanding cancellation of the pension scheme notification.
Sarjis Alom, a student of the university, said, “The current quota system is against all general people of the country. This quota system is against the farmer who is working hard to educate his child. Fishermen, laborers, rickshaw pullers who are studying their children against them. So, our demand is that the circular of 2018 should be continued.”
Asif Mahmud, another student, said under the banner of “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement,” protest programmes were arranged simultaneously across the country today to press for a four-point demand, including the restoration of the circular of 2018.
"We will go for stricter programmes like blockade if the demands are not realised and discriminatory quota system is not abolished," he said.
After the rally, the agitating students went to the proctor’s office and demanded the continuation of necessary services for all the students of the university amid the strike of teachers and officials.
Medical and library services remained closed on Monday due to an all-out strike enforced by teachers and officials, demanding cancellation of the Universal Pension Scheme.
Meanwhile, the students of Jagannath University held a protest march and human chain demanding cancellation of the “unfair” and “illogical” quota system.
Under the banner of “Anti-discrimination student movement, Jagannath University” they announced a 4-point demand including restoration of the 2018 circular abolishing quota in government jobs.
Meherunessa Himu, a student of Jagannath University who expressed solidarity in the protest, said, “There are millions of families in Bangladesh who run their whole family on less than Tk 20,000 income.
“But, freedom fighter families get Tk20 thousand per month as an honorarium. And we are leaving out the words of those who are able to earn in their families. How can we call those families backward?”
Students of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) on Monday staged a demonstration against the High Court order reinstating the quota system in government jobs.
The demonstration took place in front of the Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Mukto Moncho around 12pm.
The protesting students demanded the abolition of the discriminatory quota system and reinstatement of merit-based recruitment in government jobs, stating that equality in employment is a constitutional right.
They argued that the reinstatement of the quota system violates this right and warned of continued protests if their demands are not met.
