Quota protesters sets 24-hour deadline after submitting memorandum to president

They want the government to call an emergency session of parliament to take visible steps

Protesters have given the Bangladesh government a 24-hour ultimatum to call an emergency session of parliament and take visible steps to reform the quota system for government jobs after delivering a memorandum to President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the ‘Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’, made the demand at 3pm on Sunday.

The protesters will observe the actions and statements of the president, the government, and those responsible over the next 24 hours, he said.

If the demands are not met, they will announce more intense programmes, he said.

Regarding the case filed against the students, he said, anonymous cases are being filed against protesters.

Police had previously been given 24 hours to withdraw the cases and now they will be given another 24 hours to do so, or face tougher programmes, Nahid said.

Police officers should take responsibility for these incidents, he said.

Protestors had marched in the direction of Bangabhaban after breaching police barricades.

The march started at noon on Sunday outside Dhaka University's Central Library.

It then proceeded towards the Bangabhaban through Shahbagh, travelling in front of the Secretariat and the Matsya Bhaban.

Police initially attempted to block the protest march at the Shikkha Bhaban, but were not able to.

They attempted to block the protest with barriers when they reached Gulistan’s Zero Point at 1:30pm on Sunday. The protesters chanted slogans as tensions rose between the two sides.

Protesters then broke through the barricades and proceeded to the Bangabhaban.

They crossed Gulistan and took up positions near the South Gate of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and the stadium.

From there, a 12-member delegation of students - under police security - submitted a memorandum to the military secretary to the president.

In the memorandum, they demanded that all quotas, aside from a 5 percent quota for marginalised groups, be abolished from government recruitment at all levels.