– Ganapadayatra towards Banga Bhavan and memorandum today
– Ultimatum to withdraw case against students
Anti-quota movement is taking shape. Although on the one hand the assurance of the government on the other hand police cases and attacks are going on. After being somewhat stable for the last two days, this movement of talented students is once again spreading across the country from Sunday. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Chief Coordinator Nahid Islam has given several instructions on his Facebook page about the movement. Students’ platform ‘anti-discrimination student movement’ has issued 10 instructions to students to hold a one-point demand for cancellation of ‘unreasonable and discriminatory’ quotas in all grades in government jobs.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered against the quota reform activists at the Shahbag police station. The case was filed last Friday night on the allegation of damage to government property. Inspector (Operation) of Shahbag Police Station Md. Arshad Hossain confirmed this information to the media on Saturday afternoon. He said that a case has been filed against the quota reform activists at DMP’s Shahbag police station. A case has been filed against the police alleging damage to government property. Apart from this, they have been accused in a case of attack on journalists.
On the other hand, in view of the case against the students, the agitating students gave a stern warning yesterday. The anti-quota students and job aspirants will hold a mass march towards Banga Bhavan and hand over a memorandum to the President today to call for an emergency session to pass a law in Parliament to reform the quota and to withdraw the anonymous false case by the police within the next 24 hours. At this time, the students of other educational institutions of the country will march towards their respective administrator’s offices and submit a memorandum to the president through the district administrator with the same demand, they said.
Hasnat Abdullah, one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, announced this new program at a press conference in front of the Dhaka University (DU) central library yesterday at 6 p.m. Apart from this, their class strike will also continue, he said.
Announcing the program, he said, this Sunday at 11 am (DU) this public procession will start from in front of the Central Library. The procession will pass along the President’s office. The memorandum will then be submitted to the President. He urged all the institutions of Dhaka including Dhaka University, Jagannath University, Jobi, DU affiliated colleges, Sher Bangla College to participate in this public procession.He also said that without going to any solution politically, various circles are trying to conspire. We have always been demanding from the government, they have shown the court. The court clarified the government’s position in its judgment on July 11. We have always made our demands logically. Quota should be reformed in a logical manner for the backward groups based on research, statistics by forming a commission coordinating the executive department of the government and the stakeholders. The quota problem should be put to an end once and for all by passing a law in Parliament fixing the quota at a reasonable level. He warned that if the demands are not met, the students will go for a mass movement.
Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the quota movement, said that the government is carrying out various activities to question the students’ movement. Even the ruling student body brought hired goons to sabotage our movement. Ordinary students have started a movement to realize their logical demands. The government should have come up with a logical solution to the quota from their side. Instead of doing that, they are trying to make our ordinary students’ movement political.
He also said that in Comilla, Chittagong, Begum Rokeya University, the police and thugs of the ruling student organization have carried out brutal attacks on ordinary students. Three journalists were beaten up and injured in Comilla University. So far the students have not shown any kind of violent attitude during their agitation. Today, the police has filed a false case against Shahbag police station. A police officer at the scene clarified that the students did not commit any kind of attack. A big conspiracy is being made around our movement. I am drawing the attention of the administration, journalists, international human rights activists, if there is an attack on the students’ movement, they should raise it in the international arena. He demanded that the false case be withdrawn within the next 24 hours.
One of the coordinators of the quota movement said that the students have come to the streets to demand their logical demands. Their movement was attacked by the police. Women students, journalists, general students were not spared in the attack. At present we have not seen any peaceful movement like quota reform movement in Bangladesh. That peaceful movement is being questioned by a group of miscreants. We strongly condemn it. He said that in the quota reform movement, students have boycotted class exams. For a long time, teachers have been on an all-out strike demanding cancellation of the Pratya scheme. The students were on hand to applaud their demands from the beginning. The government has assured them. We want to say that students will not return to class only if the teachers call off the strike. We hope that the students will prove the cordial relationship between teachers and students by standing beside them in the movement to realize the logical demands of the students. At the same time, he urged not to indulge in the conspiracy of any quarter in the movement of logical and just demands.
Formation of JOB Coordinating Committee
JOB Correspondent said that Jagannath University (JOB) has formed a coordinating committee led by three members to demand quota reforms. Apart from this, 14 members have been kept in the committee. This committee was formed yesterday.
Mehrunnessa Nidra (Department of Islamic Studies) is the chief coordinator of the committee. Co-coordinated by Md. Marful Islam and Ivan Tahseeb. Apart from this, the coordination committee will be headed by 14 more members.