Public university students hold protest rallies demanding abolition of quota
1 JULY 2024
Students to stage demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday
JU students stage protest blocking Dhaka-Aricha highway
High Court recently reinstates 30% freedom fighter quota in government jobs
Publish : 01 Jul 2024, 06:50 PM Update : 01 Jul 2024, 07:22 PM
Students of different public universities including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Jagannath University staged demonstrations on Monday demanding the cancellation of the High Court order for the restoration of 30% quota for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren in government jobs.
The agitating students of Dhaka University brought out a procession from Dhaka University's central library to the Raju sculpture in the morning.
Meanwhile, students of public Universities and seven colleges and all colleges of Dhaka (under the National University) will stage demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday, reports UNB.
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 also expressed solidarity with the teachers' movement demanding the cancellation of the pension scheme notification.
Asif Mahmud, another student, said that under the banner of the “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement”, protest programs were arranged simultaneously across the country on Monday to press for a four-point demand, including the restoration of the circular of 2018.
“We will go for stricter programs like blockade if the demands are not realized 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 due to an all-out strike enforced by teachers and officials, demanding the cancellation of the Universal Pension Scheme.
JnU students make four demands regarding the quota system
The students of Jagannath University (JnU) held a protest march and human chain demanding cancellation of the unfair and illogical quota system.
Under the banner of the “Anti-discrimination student movement, Jagannath University”, they announced a four-point demand including the restoration of the 2018 circular abolishing quota in government jobs.
On this day, the students' march started from the Faculty of Arts yard, passed through the Faculty of Science, and turned into a gathering at the main gate of the university. The march then moved through Ray Shaheb Bazaar and Victoria Park before returning to the main gate of the university, where it concluded.
During this time, students chanted various slogans against quota reinstatement.
Sajjad Hossain Munna, a student of the tenth batch of the university, said: "We are protesting with four demands. If our demands are not met, we will continue our movement indefinitely. Students from educational institutions across the country will join us in this campaign."
Nakibul Ahsan Nishad, a student of the 13th batch of the university, said: "We demand that the High Court's verdict on the discriminatory quota system be revoked. Additionally, we demand to ensure employment based on merit, not quotas, in government jobs. Like in various other countries, the quota system in our country needs modernization."
JU students hold protest rally blocking Dhaka-Aricha highway
Students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway under the banner of “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement” to protesting the reinstatement of quota system in govt job.
The image shows the protest rally held by the students of Jahangirnagar University on Monday, July 1, 2024. Photo: Dhaka Tribune
At 11:30am on Monday, the students gathered at the foot of the central Shaheed Minar of the university and held a short rally.
The students made four demands.
The demands are- the circular published in 2018 canceling quota system should be abolished and the merit-based recruitment circular should be maintained. Subject to the 2018 circular being upheld, the commission should be constituted as soon as possible to eliminate irrational and discriminatory quotas in government jobs (all grades) and only backward and disadvantaged groups can be considered as per the constitution. The quota system cannot be used more than once in the recruitment examination of government jobs, if qualified candidates are not found in the quota, the vacant posts should be appointed based on merit. Effective measures should be taken to ensure a corruption-free, impartial, and merit-based bureaucracy.
The protesting students of Jahangirnagar University block Dhaka-Aricha highway on Monday, July 1, 2024. Photo: Dhaka Tribune
Later, the students brought out a protest rally from Shaheed Minar premises to the main gate of the university.
The students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway for about 10 minutes which created a long traffic jam from Dairy Farm to C&B on the highway.
During this time, they chanted slogans against the quota system.
Students of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) also 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.
On October 4, 2018, the government issued a circular abolishing all the 56% quotas in the public service in the wake of protests by public university students and jobseekers demanding reforms to the quota system introduced in 1972.
On June 5, the High Court ruled that the notification issued on October 4, 2018, canceling the freedom fighter quota in first and second-class government jobs is illegal.
As a result, the 30% freedom fighter quota in government jobs will remain in effect.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification in 2018 canceling the 10% women's quota, 30% freedom fighter quota and 10% district quota for direct recruitment from 9th grade and 10th to 13th grade.
Dhaka Tribune’s Jahangirnagar University Correspondent Md Ashibul Islam Rifat and Jagannath University Correspondent contribute to the report.