Students protesting against the quota system in government jobs have announced a nationwide online meeting among representatives of all educational institutions tomorrow.
The announcement was made by Abu Bakar Majumdar, a Dhaka University student and coordinator of the “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement”, following a protest march in Shahbagh on Friday (12 July) evening.
“A new program would be unveiled on Saturday evening to push for quota reform,” he said.
The student leaders condemned the police attacks on protest rallies.
"Yesterday, many of our fellow protesters were attacked, and we strongly condemn and protest against this," said Majumdar.
He also warned that any future violence against protesting students would not be tolerated.
Addressing the government, Majumdar urged officials to take their demands seriously and to act swiftly.
"Take our one-point demand seriously and fulfil it promptly," he said.
Mahim, another coordinator of the movement and a student at Dhaka University, criticised the government's handling of the issue.
"The state of Bangladesh is playing with our emotions like a football, directing us once to the parliament and once to the high court. The honourable prime minister needs to understand our emotions. If the quota reform law is not passed in parliament, the movement will continue," he said.
University students across the country began protesting against the quota system for government jobs earlier this month, following a High Court order on 30 June to restore the quota for descendants of freedom fighters, which had been abolished in 2018.
