A similar demonstration was also staged in front of Jahangirnagar University for one hour until the university authorities intervened.
A few thousand students set up a barricade in front of the Rajshahi University main gate, obstructing the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway from 11am to 12:30 pm.
They warned that if their demand is not met, they will boycott all classes and examinations and will once again set up road blockade on Saturday.
Blockade was followed by tailback as traffic on almost over half a kilometre stretch came to a standstill.
Students of a few departments at the university gathered in front of the main gate at 10am.
At 11:30am the students set up blockades around Binodpur Bazar. But they removed the blockade around 12:30pm and returned to their campus.
Many teachers also expressed solidarity with the agitating students’ cause.
Nirob Hossain, a Masters student of History at the university said that depriving hard working and meritorious students could never bring the country any good.
"We will stay on the roads if the quota system is not cancelled," he said.
Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) set up a blockade around noon with the same demands.
They staged demonstrations in front of the university's main gate blocking the Sylhet-Sunamganj road, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Meanwhile, over five hundred students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway in front of the Jahangirnagar University main gate around 11am at Savar on the outskirt of capital Dhaka.
About an hour later, students removed the blockade and demonstrated inside the university campus following the request of the university Proctor Md Mojibur Rahman.
During the blockade, huge traffic congestion was witnessed in the busy highway in Savar and Nobinagar area.
A student of the history department Jasim Uddin, who joined the demonstration along with other general students, told bdnews24.com that they want the system of quota to be abolished and that merit should be the only selection criterion for the job.
SUST Eng Dept students confine VC
President of JU Chhatra League unit Mahmudur Rahman along with other leaders were seen taking part in the demonstration. Leaders of Bangladesh Student Union and Socialist Student Front also participated.
The agitations spread to other institutions on Thursday, a day after a group of examinees set up a day-long blockade at Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection after the 34th BCS preliminary examination results were published on the basis of quota.
Senior Secretary in the Public Administration Ministry Abdus Sobhan Sikder on Wednesday had told bdnews24.com that the government currently has no plans to reform the quota system.
PSC announced the results of the 34th BCS preliminary tests on Monday. Examinees have alleged that even students with high marks were not selected because of the quota system.
In the face of the agitation, the Public Service Commission announced to review the results.
However, the protesters are demanding that the entire quota system be abolished.
