Quota reinstatement: University students announce class, exam boycott
4 JULY 2024
Students blocked Shahbagh intersection for six hours
They placed their four-point demand
Students of Dhaka University gather at the capital's Shahbagh intersection following the top court's ruling on the quota system on Thursday, July 4, 2024.
Mahathir Mohammed / Publish: 04 Jul 2024, 08:30 PM Update: 04 Jul 2024, 08:30 PM
Students of Dhaka University gathered at the capital’s Shahbagh intersection after the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a High Court ruling reinstating quotas for government jobs, lifting their blockade before announcing their next course of action – a boycott of classes and exams.
Following the six-hour blockade, Nahid Islam, a sociology student at Dhaka University and a representative of the protesters, said that on Friday, campaigns will be held both online and offline across the country based on their four-point demand.
Then on Saturday, a protest march will be held at 3pm, followed by the students of all universities boycotting classes and exams the next day.
Hasnat Abdullah, a student from Dhaka University's English department, said: "There was a war against discrimination in 1971. This is a war against the oligarchy. A farmer's son will remain a farmer, a labourer's son will remain a labourer [in this system]. Our ancestors taught us how to fight against lifelong exploitation."
"Although the government abolished the quota system, universities, teachers, and the government still want quotas. Who wants quotas? The quota is maintained by some invisible force. We want to make it clear that we want to clear exams on merit alone.
"We will take admission tests with the same questions, write the same answers, and face the same challenges. But in the end, they will receive extra benefits due to quota advantages. It then feels as though our birth determines our fate," he added.
Meanwhile, sociology student Nahid Islam said the appeal was supposed to be heard in the Supreme Court, but the court did not comment.
“We have nothing against the court; we believe our judiciary will function as it should. However, we, the students, will continue to push for our demands on the streets."
He continued: "In 2018, the executive branch abolished the quota system through a circular. This was later restored by the judiciary. The lack of coordination within the state apparatus is evident, with the executive issuing an order and the judiciary cancelling it. Students have no role in the internal conflicts of the state machinery. It is up to them to coordinate among themselves and meet the demands of the time.
"I want to ask the executive branch – if the circular of 2018 was issued and then cancelled after five years, was there not a mistake in the circular? The students' movement has been turned into a farce. Our four-point movement will continue."
Nahid said they have not been contacted by the executive or higher levels of the government yet and have not received any reassurances either.
Following the top court’s decision, Dhaka University unit Chhatra League reportedly prevented the students from joining protests against the reinstatement of the quota system.
It was also seen that the Masterda' Surja Sen Hall and Kabi Jasimuddin Hall were locked by the leaders and activists of the university unit Chhatra League.
They were allegedly guarding the halls’ entrances with motorcycles.
Earlier in the day, the appellate bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan upheld the chamber court’s decision on the freedom fighter quota.
Consequently, the High Court's verdict remains in effect.
On June 5, the High Court declared illegal the circular that cancelled the quotas, including those for freedom fighters, in first and second-class government jobs.
As a result, the 30% quota for freedom fighters in government jobs (grades 9 to 13) will remain in place.
On October 4, 2018, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular to implement the cabinet's decision to abolish the existing quota system for direct recruitment to first and second-class posts in government jobs.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued the circular a day after the decision of the Cabinet to cancel the quota.
The government decided to remove the 45% quota for recruitment in government jobs from ninth to thirteenth grade, opting for merit-based recruitment after a prolonged student movement demanding quota reform. The quota review committee's recommendations led to this decision, approved during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on October 3, 2018.