Protesters block Shahbagh to demand revival of freedom fighter quota in govt jobs

A group of freedom fighters’ descendants have demonstrated at Shahbagh in Dhaka blocking the key intersection for several hours to demand that the government revive 30 percent quota for them in public service jobs.

Dhaka University Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 8 Feb 2019, 04:04 PM
Updated : 8 Feb 2019, 08:58 PM

Hundreds of protesters organised a human-chain demonstration in front of the National Museum at 4:30pm on Friday under the banner of “Muktijoddhar Sontan O Projonmo”.

After the human-chain protest, the jobseekers and students occupied the intersection putting brakes on rush-hour traffic.

The demonstrators shouted slogans like “No place for Razakars in this Bangla of freedom fighters”, “Weapons of ’71 roar once again”, and “We want 30 percent quota”.

Members of 'Muktijoddhar Sontan O Projonmo Somonyo Parishad, an organisation of freedom fighters' descendants, demonstrating at the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka on Friday evening for a seven-point charter of demand, including restoration of 30 percent quota for them in government jobs.

They initially announced that they would not leave without Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s assurance of meeting their six-point charter of demand.

Their other demands include a law to protect the freedom fighters’ families, and expulsion of children of anti-liberation people from government. 

The demonstrators, however, left the street around 9:30pm, postponing the protest for a week “considering public sufferings”.

“We will organise more protest programmes if our demands are not met by this time,” said Sonnet Mahmud, a joint general secretary of the organisation’s Dhaka University unit. 

He also said many of those, who sat the Sonali Bank recruitment test for posts reserved for freedom fighters’ descendants earlier in the day, joined the protests. Around 13,000 candidates took the test, according to Sonnet.

Earlier in the evening, the organisation’s convenor Aminul Islam Bulbul told bdnews24.com: “We will not leave the place until we get any message from Sheikh Hasina.”

Hasina had once said she would accept the demand for quota revival if the freedom fighters’ descendants can mount pressure on the government by protesting together, Aminul said.

“We are here finally. We will accept whatever she says. No-one else’s words will work,” he added.