Anti-Quota movement: Protesters announce mass campaign program Tuesday
8 JULY 2024
Online and offline mass campaigns will be done in coordination with student representatives
The protesting students left Shahbagh around 8:35pm
The image shows quota protesters addressing the blockade program at Shahbagh in Dhaka on Monday, July 8, 2024. Photo: Bangla Tribune
Mahathir Mohammed / Publish : 08 Jul 2024, 09:40 PM Update : 09 Jul 2024, 11:38 AM
Protesting students will hold a mass campaign program across Bangladesh on Tuesday demanding the abolishment of all types of discriminatory quotas in all grades of government jobs.
The announcement came from Monday’s “Bangla Blockade” program at Shahbagh.
They also said that the blockade program will resume on Wednesday.
Besides, the ongoing class-examination boycott and student strike program will continue.
Nahid Islam, chief coordinator of the quota reform movement, said that Wednesday's program will be announced in an online press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Nahid Islam gave the closing speech of the second-day program from Shahbagh at around 8:30pm.
He said the online and offline mass campaigns will be done in coordination with student representatives across the country.
Nahid also said: “We have been protesting since June 5. We had given memorandums, we had made our demands in all possible processes. We did not come to the streets suddenly. Now the ball is in the government's court.”
Regarding the program, he said: “We had observed a half-an-hour blockade program. The blockade will not be limited to just half an hour. We will coordinate online and offline mass campaigns with student representatives across the country tomorrow (Tuesday) for a complete blockade across the country from Wednesday.”
Wednesday's schedule will be announced on Tuesday through an online press conference, he added.
The protesting students left Shahbagh around 8:35pm after announcing the new program.
Before this, the protesters from other blockade sites-including Science Lab, Gulistan, New Market, Banglamotor, Matsyo Bhaban Intersection, Poribag, Karwan Bazar, Farmgate- came to the Shahbag intersection to express their solidarity with the movement.
Hasnat Abdullah, another spokesman of the movement, said: "Students want to go back to their study table but you are not allowing them to go to the study table. We want this quota system to be reformed logically and constitutionally at the minimum rate for the unprivileged people. We are determined to acquire our claim and are ready to pay any cost."
Sarjis Alam, another frontliner of the movement, said: "Today we have blocked the most important intersections and crossings of Dhaka city and other cities too. As a result of our blockade, communication among 40 districts was disrupted. If we want, we can disconnect all 64 districts of the country within the next two days."
“If we want to build Shonar Bangla, we must allow the real worthy students for this. Quota prevents the real worthy and qualified to be selected. So, it is impossible to implement the dream of Shonar Bangla. We will be on the streets till our demand is met,” he added.
On Sunday, after the "Bangla Blockade" event, the protestors announced that their actions would continue on Monday to press home their four-point demand.
Accordingly, they blocked key points in the capital on Monday, raising concerns about severe traffic congestion like the previous day.
The four-point demands of the protesting students include reinstating the 2018 circular conditionally, forming a commission to promptly remove irrational and discriminatory quotas in government jobs (all grades), ensuring that quota benefits can not be used multiple times, and filling vacant positions based on merit if no qualified candidates are found through quotas. Effective measures must be taken to ensure a corruption-free, impartial, and merit-based bureaucracy.
On July 4, The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s verdict that declared the decision to cancel the quota system, including the first and second-class freedom fighter quota in government jobs, illegal.
On June 5, the High Court declared illegal the circular that canceled 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.
Following the High Court ruling, various discussions and criticisms emerged on social media.
Additionally, protests and demonstrations took place in several locations, including Dhaka University.
Meanwhile, students of Dhaka University demanded the withdrawal of the High Court's verdict to reinstate the 30% quota for the children of freedom fighters in government jobs from grades 9 to 13.
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.
Dhaka Tribune's DU correspondent Mahathir Mohammed contributed to the report.
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