Hasina says she would rather accept no-quota than chaos

A visibly perturbed prime minister told parliament on Wednesday that she would rather have the quota system abolished than see students create chaos, miss classes and cause public suffering.

But Sheikh Hasina vowed to punish those who vandalised and looted the Dhaka University vice chancellor's residence.

Students and job-seekers have waged an agitation demanding reforms to the quota provisions that rolled into the fourth straight day on Wednesday, bringing traffic on key Dhaka streets to a standstill.

Hasina addressed the issue in parliament and said the protests were irrational since the government had promised to work on the demands.

“It’s clear that getting rid of the quota system is the only way to stop this trouble from recurring. This is what I think,” she said.

     

A delegation of the protesters met Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday to discuss their demands and had postponed the protests until May 7.

But another faction refused to halt their movement until there was specific announcement from the prime minister and reversed the decision to halt the protests. The faction of students supporting the halt joined the others later.

After Hasina commented on the issue, Nurul Haque Nur, a joint convenor of the students’ rights platform to organise the protests, said they would give their decision on Thursday after analysing her comments.

While speaking about the female students taking to streets in the wee hours during protest and it spreading to other universities and districts, the prime minister's voice strained with anger.

The protesters say they want reforms to the quota system, not abolishment.

“No one wants it (quota). Alright then, there will be no quotas. There is no need for quotas. They will take BCS exams and get jobs on their merit,” she said.

She referred to the quota system going through reforms at different times after independence and added, “Reforms will be needed if quotas exist. There will be no question of reforming the system if there is no quota in the first place. Protests will lead to lost time.”

“So there is no need for quota system,” she added.

GET BACK TO CLASSES

Hasina said the students should stop the demonstrations and criticised them for causing public sufferings.

“And what the nature of demonstrations was – stopping studies and taking to the street. People could not even go to hospitals. They also came out to the streets outside Dhaka.

“They have protested enough,” Hasina said. “Let them return to classes.”

“Classes have been stopped for some days at all the universities. Then there was an attack on the VC’s house, traffic congestions, public sufferings. Why should the people suffer time and again?” She asked. 

A class room of the Dhaka University looks empty as students boycott classes to join the quota reform protests. Photo: Abdullah Al Momin

She expressed concern over female students of the Dhaka University coming out of halls to join the protesters after midnight.

“How did the girls get out in the small hours? I couldn’t even sleep that night. I sent Nanak there,” she said.

The protests took a sharp turn on Sunday when the demonstrators blocked the busy Shahbagh intersection in the capital.

Chased away by the police from Shahbagh in the evening, the students clashed with them overnight on the Dhaka University campus. Female students came out in the wee hours of Monday, protesting against the injuries of scores of students in the violence.

After getting the government promise to take a look into their demands on Monday, the students pressed on with their protests on Tuesday and said they would agitate from 10am to 7pm every day until the issue was resolved.

“They are out on the streets under the blazing sun. They will fall ill,” Hasina said, concerned about their health.

RUMOURS ON FACEBOOK

The prime minister said rumours were spread on the social media sites like Facebook, which instigated the protests.

Female students take to the street in the wee hours of Monday.

“A boy took a hit on his head. Suddenly, a person wrote a status (on Facebook) that the student has died. And all his peers immediately took to the street.

“We are building a Digital Bangladesh, but these tools are being used for spreading rumour instead of doing something constructive,” she said.

An Awami League MP earlier demanded in parliament that Ganajagaran Mancha Spokesperson Imran H Sarker be arrested for uploading the post on the rumour over death of a protester Sunday night.

‘WHERE IS THE LOOT?’

The prime minister has made it clear that those responsible for the attack on Dhaka University VC Md Akhtaruzzaman’s house early in the morning on Monday will be brought to justice.

Police used teargas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse the protesters.

“The attack on the VC’s house was the worst part. The photos reminded me of our house on the road no 32 (in Dhanmondi). The VC’s house was ransacked. The CCTV cameras were not spared, which means it was a premeditated attack,” Hasina said.  

“We can’t accept such a big offence. No one can learn anything by belittling the elders. They carried out the most heinous attack. How can the students do this kind of destruction?” she asked.

Referring to the attack on the VC’s house, leaders of the Awami League suspected something sinister behind the protests.

A student of Dhaka University is being taken to hospital by a rickshaw after she fell sick during the protests. Photo: Abdullah Al Momin

“Those involved in the vandalism and lootings must be tried. The detectives are already working on the case.

“The students must reveal where the loots are stashed away,” Hasina said.

Students announced to continue the protests on Tuesday. Students announced to continue the protests on Tuesday.

‘PROTESTS IRRATIONAL’

On Monday, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the prime minister ordered officials to examine the quota system and see what could be done about the protesters’ demand.

A ransacked room of the VC's house. Photo: Abdullah Al Momin

Quader, after meeting the representatives of the protesters, said they would give a decision by May 7 and the demonstrators agreed to halt their programmes by then.

“There was a discussion, a specific date was announced, and I tasked the cabinet secretary with looking into the issue. But they did not give us the time,” Hasina said.

“One group gathered on the street, saying ‘No, we don’t accept it’, and the others joined them gradually.

“There were discussions, then what was the rationale behind continuing with the protests?” she asked.

Hasina said the protesters and the teachers who supported the cause were ‘ignorant’ of the facts.

Dhaka University vice-chancellor's residence on the campus was vandalised in the wee hours of Monday amid protests demanding reforms to quota system in government jobs. The attackers also torched two cars. Photo: Abdullah Al Momin

“Their charter of demand is not clear. Don’t they know the government was already filling up vacant quota posts with candidates from the merit list?” she wondered, referring to the circular clarifying changes to the quota system.

“And it saddens me when I see any professor of Dhaka University or Shahjalal University speaking in favour of the protesters. They haven’t seen that we were already appointing candidates from the merit list (when a quota post remained vacant),” she said.     

“We have a policy to run the country. Many (of the protesters) are of my grandchildren’s age. Don’t we know what is good for them?” she asked.

Referencing recruitments through recent Bangladesh Civil Service or BCS exams, she also said,

Students announced to continue the protests on Tuesday.

“BRIGHT CANDIDATES WERE NOT LEFT OUT”

According to her, 77.4 percent candidates who secured government jobs through the 33rd BCS examinations were picked from the merit list, and the figure was 67.49 percent in the 35th BCS, and 70.38 percent in the 36th BCS.

“Whatever the quotas were, we always recruited from the merit list when a quota post remained vacant,” the prime minister pointed out.

‘SCOPE OF REFORMS’

But Hasina said there were still scopes of reforming the system and retaining some of the quotas.

“The cabinet secretary will look into the issue, if necessary. I’ve asked him to work on it with the relevant people. They will see to it."

In a recent programme in Chattogram after the protests started, Hasina said freedom fighter quota in government jobs would stay. 

“Their (freedom fighters) privilege comes first as Bangladesh became independent because of them. Freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren must get the facilities first. That’s why the quota system was introduced,” she had clarified.

On Wednesday, she again explained why there should be quotas. “The quota system is for the advancement of the people lagging behind.”

She said Article 28 (4) of the Constitution stipulates actions for advancement of such people.

There would be alternatives to quotas for recruitment of people from small ethnic groups and those with disabilities, but she did not elaborate.