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Published : 07 Jul 2024, 04:42 PM
Students and job seekers have blocked roads in Dhaka’s Shahbagh, Science Laboratory, Nilkhet, and other areas to demand that the 2018 notification scrapping the quota system for public sector jobs be reinstated.
The protesters began taking to the streets as part of the ‘Bangla Blockade’ programme on Sunday afternoon, leading to heavy traffic congestion and suffering for commuters.
Dhaka College students began their protest by marching from Nilkhet at 1:45pm on Sunday before ending their procession at the Science Laboratory intersection.
The protesters chanted slogans protesting the High Court's decision, saying that public sector recruitment should be based on merit not quotas.
They said they would continue to stage their protests until the quota system was scrapped.
Nazmul Hasan, a Dhaka College student, said: “We declared this programme previously. We blocked the main gate to the college for four consecutive days and have conducted several other programmes. We have a single demand - the quota system must be abolished.”
“Our Constitution provides equality but the quota system creates disparity. As per the demands of students, special privileges given to certain quarters must be stopped. Otherwise, the nationwide protests will intensify further.”
Students from Eden Mohila College took up positions at the Nilkhet intersection around 3pm.
Then, around 4pm, students from Dhaka University marched around the campus before blocking the Shahbagh intersection.
Some protesters also took up positions in front of the Intercontinental Hotel.
Students and job seekers also blocked the Chankharpul intersection, leading to congestion on the Mayor Hanif Flyover.
Students from several other institutions, including the Shere-e-Bangla Agricultural University in Agargaon also started a road blockade around 4pm.
Dhaka University student Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the movement, announced the ‘Bangla Blockade’ or nationwide blockade programme from 3pm on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, Nahid called on students to boycott classes and exams and stage blockade programmes at Shahbagh, Nilkhet, New Market, Chankharpul, Science Laboratory, Motijheel and other important locations near their Dhaka University.
4-POINT LIST OF DEMANDS BY STUDENTS
• The abolition of the quota system in government jobs, which was announced in 2018 after intense protests, and the retention of merit-based recruitment circulars
• The swift formation of a commission to eliminate “unreasonable and discriminatory” quotas in all grades of government jobs, ensuring that only marginalised groups are considered for quota as per the Constitution.
•The quota facility cannot be used more than once in government job recruitment exams, and any vacant positions previously reserved under a quota should be filled on the basis of merit
• Effective measures to ensure a corruption-free, impartial, and merit-based bureaucracy.
On Oct 4, 2018, in the face of a student movement, the government issued a circular cancelling the 10 percent quota for women, the 30 percent quota for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters and the 10 percent district quota for government jobs.
According to the circular issued by the Ministry of Public Administration, the existing quota system for direct recruitment to the posts of ninth grade (previously first class) and 10th to 13th grades (previously second class) was scrapped in favour of a merit-based system.
However, the circular stated that though the quota system for the first and second-class jobs was abolished, the quotas will remain in place for third and fourth-class posts.
Seven people, including Wahidul Islam – the son of a freedom fighter - filed a writ petition in the High Court in 2021 challenging the validity of that circular.
After the final hearing, the High Court bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat declared the decision to scrap the quota system illegal. The state applied to the Appellate Division to suspend the decision.
Students have protested at Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University and other places across the country over the High Court’s decision.
