Pro, anti-quota protests in DU

Students of Dhaka University staged pro and anti-quota processions in the varsity campus on Saturday afternoon.

File Photo

Resuming the ongoing agitation over job reservations, a group of students held a demonstration in front of the University's Central Library, demanding revocation of quota system.

Witnesses said leaders of the DU chapter of the Chhatra League disbanded the protestors when they tried to stage a rally in the campus.

One of the protesters, Shaheen Rahman told bdnews24.com that they went to stage a rally according to a prescheduled programme, but they were stopped from doing so by Chhatra League activists.

However, general secretary of the Chhatra League’s DU unit Omar Sharif has denied the allegation.

"They fled when ordinary students chased them." he told bdnews24.com.

Soon after the first group dispersed, another group took out a procession holding the banner "Amra Muktijoddhar Shontan"

Arif Raihan, one of the protestors in the second rally, said "Against whom are people protesting today? They should not forget that they can speak today in their mother tongue only because the freedom fighters fought for this country. They (freedom fighters) deserve the benefits from the government."

He alleged that a vested quarter was trying to destabilise the country by demanding the abolition of the quota system.

Agitated students in Dhaka and elsewhere took to the streets last week after the 34th BCS preliminary results were announced based on quotas.

They set up a daylong blockade in Shahbagh area last Wednesday.

Students of a few universities including Rajshahi University set up blockades the following day, but were scuttled by the police.

In the face of the agitation, Public Service Commission (PSC) announced a re-evaluation of the 34th BCS Preliminary results but protesters were not pacified.

"Amra Muktijoddhar Shontan" and many other organizations alleged that the student front of Jamaat-e-Islam is behind the anti-quota agitations.