The BNP has called on the government to consider demand of abolishing quotas for government jobs.
Published : 11 Jul 2013, 08:18 PM
In a statement on Thursday night, acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir condemned the ‘police attack’ on students.
Some organisations have blamed BNP’s key ally Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir for the violent agitation.
“The government is so out of mind in the face of the outrage that resulted from their misrule that besides suppressing opposition, they have unleashed police and Juba League, Chhatra League on (the students).”
“There has been no consideration for the students.”
“It is not only embarrassing for the government, but the whole nation. We are calling on the government for a rethink.”
The BNP leader demanded that the culprits behind ‘attack’ on protesting students be identified and brought to justice.
Mirza Fakhrul claimed it was ‘also a plot to rob the state and public administration of merit”.
Though the government had ‘endorsed’ Ganajagaran Mancha’ in Shahbagh, now protests demanding quota abolition were being quelled by police at the same spot, the statement read.
After results of 34th BCS preliminary examinations were out on Monday some angry students staged protest at Shahbagh. Examinees 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.
Protests continued on Thursday morning and demonstrators tried to besiege Shahbagh at noon. Chased away by police, they scurried on to Dhaka University campus and clashed with law-enforces. At one point, a group of Bangladesh Chhatra League beat up some of the demonstrators, branding them as ‘Islami Chhatra Shibir activists’.
The marauding protestors hurled bricks at the residence and office of Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor, ransacked the Proctor’s Office and Social Sciences Faculty.
The protestors damaged several vehicles, including one of private TV station ATN Bangla, at the time. The ATN Bangla vehicle’s driver was injured in the head.