Protest against quotas: Students lift blockade on roads after 6 hours; announce new programmes
They will hold a protest rally at 3pm in all educational institutions where they will announce their next programme
Students of different universities have lifted their blockade on several roads across the country after six hours of protesting against the High Court's order that termed cancelling the freedom fighter quota in first and second-class government jobs as illegal.
They have also announced several fresh programmes, including protesting both online and offline on Friday.
They will hold a protest rally at 3pm in all educational institutions where they will announce their next programme, according to a leader of today's programme Nahid Islam.
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They also said they will continue boycotting classes and exams from Sunday.
Since this morning, Dhaka University students blocked Shahbagh for the third day in a row demanding the reinstatement of the 2018 circular cancelling quotas in recruitment in government jobs.
Students gathered in front of the central library of the university today (4 July) around 11am. Later, they took out a protest rally, circled the various roads of the campus and blockaded Shahbagh at 12:15pm.
Nahid Islam, a student of Sociology Department, one of the coordinators of the movement, said in today's movement, in addition to Dhaka University students from various colleges and educational institutions have gathered here.
"This programme will continue until our demands are met. Today we did not come to block for an hour and leave. We want our demands to be met," he added.
At around 4pm today, Sarjis Alam, a student of DU's Zoology Department, told TBS that they have not yet decided how much longer they will stay on the road. But they intend to carry on their protest until their demands are met, he said.
Another protesting student, on condition of anonymity, said they will stay at Shahbagh till evening.
At around 5pm, hundreds of policemen took position on the streets, aiming to disperse the crowd. The protesting students were seen approaching them.
Meanwhile, following an Appellate Division order today, an agitating student Monirul Islam said the movement of the student society against discrimination will be more intense now.
"We will continue our protest until the demand is met. The verdict on quota restoration is a discredit to merit. Students know how to realize their rights through struggle," he added.
Meanwhie, students of Comilla University and Rajshahi University blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Rajshahi Highways.
The Appellate Division today adjourned the hearing on a writ petition filed challenging the cancellation of the freedom fighter quota in government jobs.
"The High Court rule will be in effect for now. You can file a regular appeal after receiving the full verdict," the Appellate bench told the state side.
The High Court on 5 June termed cancelling the freedom fighter quota in first and second-class government jobs as illegal.
In response, the government moved the case to the Chamber judge of the Appellate Division, which upheld the High Court decision and set today for a full-bench hearing.
