Dhaka: While the flame of quota reform demand is gaining momentum with the growing involvement of students and jobseekers at the foot of Raju Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus, students boycotted their regular classes apparently to intensify their demand.

The students of both public and private universities have boycotted their classes for the last few days, reports the UNB.

Most classrooms at the Dhaka University were found empty as students decided not to attend classes. The scenario at Rajshahi University and Jagannath University was the same while Jahangirnagar University students boycotted their exams, too, according to reports reaching the UNB newsroom.

On Tuesday, students of private universities, including East West University, North South University, BRAC University, United International University and Daffodil University took to the streets boycotting their classes with the demand for reform of the quota system.

The movement started on April 8 when jobseekers and university students staged demonstrations across the country demanding reform of the existing quota system in government recruitment tests, including BCS examinations.

As part of the movement, students have kept themselves away from attending classes to express their solidarity with the demonstration.

Ahnaf Tahmid Ratul, a student of Mass Communication and Journalism department, said he boycotted his classes supporting the cause.

‘No more bloodshed, no more tears. I hope the government also will try to understand what the general students are saying and take necessary steps on the promised date,’ he said.

Sushmita Chakraborty, another 2nd year student of the Dhaka University, said she was boycotting the classes as part of the non-violent movement.

‘Now, we’ve decided to continue the boycott protesting the police attack on our classmates,’ she added. 

Shabbir Shojib, a student of Anthropology department, said the students of his department have decided not to attend their classes and exams protesting the silence of the DU authorities over the police attack and Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury’s statement.

Sought comments, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman told UNB that the students should come back to their classes as they got assurance from the government that it will look into their demand, or else, there will be session jam.

Claiming that no DU student was involved in the attack on his house, the VC said his university students cannot commit such a heinous crime.

Assuring that no innocent student will be punished, Prof Akhtaruzzaman said it was a planned attack to divert the movement to a different direction.

However, Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Forum at a press briefing on Tuesday morning said they have suspended their movement until May 7 following an assurance from the prime minister on quota reform.

But a divergent faction is continuing the quota reform movement on the Dhaka University campus asking for the reform in one week’s time.

On February 17, students and jobseekers started the movement to press for their five-point demand that include introduction of unified age limit in government jobs, review of quota system in government recruitment process, including Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination, stopping taking benefit by job seekers under the same quota, filling vacant posts from merit list if the candidates from quota are not found and fixation of 10 per cent quota instead of existing 56 per cent.