Dhaka: Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, a platform that leads the quota reform movement, staged a demonstration at Dhaka University (DU) campus demanding the publication of the gazette notification on quota reform in public services as soon as possible.

Hasan Al Mamun, convener of the Council came up with the demand while speaking at a press briefing on the campus, reports the UNB.

Earlier, at 11:00am, several hundred students from different educational institutions including Dhaka University, Dhaka College and Eden College brought out a procession from Doyel Chattar area and marched up to the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla after parading Bangla Academy, Public Library and Dhaka University Central Library.

Later, the protesters hold a rally at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla.

When addressing, Hasan Al Mamun, said ‘We’ll continue movement until our three-point demand are not met and we hope that the government will take immediate steps to withdraw the ‘false’ cases against students and publish the gazette notification on the quota reforms soon.’

He also said, ‘Never think that we are weak. Because history says that students never go back without fulfilling their demands once they take to the street.’ 

Nurul Haq Nur, joint convener of the platform said, ‘We will go for tougher movement, if our demands are not met immediately. We will also sit with all student organisations to fix the next course of programme.’ 

Nur said, ‘Our message is clear. We always wanted reforms of the quota system, not abolishment. But if the government wants to abolish the quota system, they can do it.’

Meanwhile, a group of leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League under the banner of general students of Dhaka University also brought out a procession on the campus welcoming the decision of the probe body recommendation to abolish the quota system in 1st class and 2nd class job in civil services.

Earlier, on Monday, the body, formed by the government to review the existing quota system in public service, has recommended abolishing the quota system from 9th to 13th grades (1st class and 2nd class) of government jobs.

In Rajshahi, the quota reform activists on Tuesday staged demonstration at the University to press home their three-point demand.

They also brought out a protest rally from in front of Central Library of the campus. Their demands are: Immediate release of the activists, who were detained during movement, from jail, punishment of the attackers involved in assaulting teachers and students and publish a gazette notification of quota reform in the civil service in line with their earlier five-point demand.