March 28, 2024, 3:27 pm


Nirmal Barman

Published:
2018-04-11 18:35:01 BdST

Private univ students join quota reform movement


FT ONLINE

Students of at least 19 private universities joined the ongoing movement demanding reformation to the existing quota system of the public service recruitment, by blockading various major roads in Dhaka on Tuesday.

They started bringing out processions and blocking the roads around the capital from 10am, showing solidarity to the nationwide movement spearheaded by Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhon Parishad, comprised of students from various public colleges and universities and jobseekers.

The areas where vehicular movement had come to a standstill, and later diverted, include Rampura, Nadda, Badda, Malibagh, Kuril Bishwa Road, Dhanmondi and Mirpur Road.

Traffic on the streets around those areas started returning to normal around 5pm after the private university students lifted their blockades.

The private universities included NSU, Brac University, American International University of Bangladesh (AIUB), Independent University, East West University (EWU), Southeast University, United International University (UIU) and Daffodil International University (DIU).

The movement calling for reform to the quota system had started in mid February. But it received a major boost, spreading nationwide majorly, after violent tripartite clashes between police, Bangladesh Chhatra League and the demonstrators in Dhaka University (DU) campus between Sunday evening and early Monday.

Apart from the capital, private university students also demonstrated in different districts around the country on Tuesday.

On Sunday, after over five hours of blockade at Shahbagh intersection, police had launched an assault to disperse the demonstrators in the evening, which led to overnight clashes inside DU campus.

Police had fired teargas shells and rubber bullets, used water cannons and charge baton to disperse the students, but to no avail, while the demonstrators retaliated by throwing brickbats and starting fire at different points on the campus.

More than 100 people were injured while police detained over 50 demonstrators during running battles, which were joined by Chhatra League in phases.

Daunted by the police, the demonstrators had taken position in the DU Central Library and TSC areas.

In the early hours of Monday, many had broken into DU Vice Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman’s residence and extensively vandalized the property as well as torched the his cars and surrounding motorbikes.

On Monday, countrywide protests were also held in different public universities calling for quota reforms and justice against the police attack on students in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directive, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader met with the leaders of the movement later in the afternoon.

Emerging from that meeting, Obaidul said the government would come up with a solution by May 7.

Soothed by the government’s assurance, the demonstrators had announced to halt their movement till then. But that led to a disagreement, and the students were divided into two groups.

On Tuesday, one of them went for halting the movement, while the other declared to continue the demonstrations demanding immediate measures from the government.

However, after Finance Minsiter AMA Muhith later in the day said quota system would not be re-examined before the next national budget, the student factions in the evening reconciled and resumed their demonstrations together.

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