Arafat bins scope for govt to form commission on quota reform

As tension over the anti-quota protests keep escalating, State Minister for Information Mohammad Ali Arafat has brushed aside any opportunity for the government to form a commission on quota reform following the recent verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in this regard.

He was addressing a press briefing at the Dhaka District Awami League office in Tejgaon, Dhaka on Saturday, saying that the government remains positive about addressing the quota issue

The state minister, however, expressed his resentment on the students protesting against the quota system for repeatedly revising their demands and misleading the public.

Arafat called on the protesters to wait for the government’s response following the court proceedings on quota.

"I think that from time to time issues like quotas can be modernised by taking into consideration changes in conditions and circumstances, among other factors," he said, but argued that the protesters‍‍` demands to resolve the quota issue through the executive branch reflect a misunderstanding of the legal process.

He also expressed concern over the involvement of what he described as an "anti-national force" in the movement, which he claimed is diverting the agenda of ordinary students.