Quota reform protesters want ‘direct statement’ from Hasina

Students and job seekers on their fourth consecutive day of protests at Dhaka University for the reform of the quota system for government say they want a ‘direct statement’ from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the issue.

Students rallying under the banner of the ‘Council for the Preservation of General Students’ Rights’ say they will continue their demonstrations until the prime minister has made a direct statement outlining which quotas will be reduced and by how much.

Leaders from Awami League student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, have stated that the prime minister may make a statement later on Wednesday to announce that all quotas will be lifted from civil service jobs. But protesters have continued their demonstrations on campus.

 “We have seen the status posted by Chhatra League President Sohag,” protest joint convener Nurul Haque Noor told bdnews24.com.

“But we do not want to hear it from the mouths of others. We will not call off our protest until we hear a clear and direct decision from the prime minister.”

The latest round of quota reform protests became violent on Sunday evening as police and the Bangladesh Chhatra League clashed with students on the Dhaka University campus. The following day a delegation of the protesters met with Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader.

The delegation decided to postpone the protests until May 7 after Quader assured them that a decision on the matter would be taken soon.

But on Tuesday, after a number of the protesters refused to back down, the protesters announced that they would continue with their demonstrations.

Students from various institutions of higher education have boycotted classes and exams, taking to the streets, causing Dhaka to grind to a halt.

Dhaka University students began gathering at the Raju Memorial Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus around 9am on Wednesday.

Classes and exams would be boycotted and streets would be blocked until a direct announcement on quota reductions was announced by the prime minister, said protest joint convener Rashed Khan at a press conference in front of the Dhaka University central library around 10:30am.

The protesters said that statements from various ministers had also caused confusion.

Khan repeated that the attack on the Dhaka University vice chancellor’s residence early on Monday morning had nothing to do with the quota reform protests.

“They were opportunists and trespassers. We demand their arrests.”

Protesters say the demonstrations have become more intense since news spread on Tuesday night that a BCL leader had allegedly tortured quota reform protesters.

They also called for government ministers and state ministers to withdraw their negative remarks regarding the protests.

Students from Dhaka Medical College, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dr Sirajul Islam Medical and various other public and private medical colleges joined the group at the Raju sculpture on Wednesday morning.

The quotas were preventing skilled students from receiving positions, Dhaka Medical College second-year dentistry student Habibur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

“Our doctors are unqualified due to the lack of talent,” he said.

The medical college students also condemned the alleged torture of quota reform protesters by the BCL leader.