Home
+
The demonstrators protest against Hasina’s remarks on their demand for abolishing freedom fighter quota in government jobs
Published : 15 Jul 2024, 02:27 AM
A section of Dhaka University students have started demonstrating in reaction to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s comments on their ongoing protest against quotas for freedom fighters’ descendants in government jobs.
They marched to rally at Raju Sculpture on the campus around 11pm on Sunday after demonstrating for about an hour in the halls.
The protests continued until after 1am on Monday while three leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling Awami League’s student front, resigned in protest against Hasina’s comments. They made the announcement on Facebook.
Hasina made the remarks at a press conference in the afternoon on her just-concluded China visit.
"Why do they hold such resentment towards the Liberation War and the freedom fighters? If the grandchildren of freedom fighters are not to benefit, will the grandchildren of collaborators (get jobs)?” she asked.
"What is the crime of the freedom fighters? Those who risked their lives, leaving their families and households, who fought in the Liberation War enduring hunger, mud, sun, rain, and storms to free this country.
"Because the freedom fighters brought victory, everyone today can hold high positions and speak loudly. Otherwise, we would have died at the hands of the Pakistanis."
In reaction hours later, a section of the protesters at Dhaka University started shouting slogans: “Who are we? Razakar, Razakar.”
Hasnat Abdullah, a protest leader, said: “The students are shocked by the prime minister’s remarks. They overcame obstacles by the Chhatra League to leave the halls. They have condemned the prime minister’s comments.”
“In independent Bangladesh, everyone hates Razakar. And now we’ve been called Razakar.”
BCL workers also gathered in different spots of the campus and the city as tension ran high in the wee hours.
