Quota protesters now want law passed after reformation

Protesting students have announced that they will continue their agitation until the parliament passes a law reforming the quota system in government jobs. They made this announcement after blocking the Shahbagh intersection of the capital for four hours from 5pm on Thursday. 

As the next program of the movement, a protest has been called in all educational institutions across the country on Friday afternoon.

Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the movement, announced the program before ending the blockade at Shahbagh intersection at 9 pm. He said that the police attacked the students protesting for quota reform in different parts of the country. Along with the demand for quota reforms, protest marches and rallies will be held in all campuses at 4pm on Friday in protest against this attack.

Nahid Islam mentioned that the movement can be suppressed by attacking and intimidating. He said that the quota problem should be finally solved by calling an emergency session in the parliament and logically reforming the quota. Not only the first and second class jobs, the recruitment in all government jobs should be done on the basis of merit by keeping a 5% quota for backward communities.

Addressing the protesting students, Nahid Islam said that if the movement is obstructed anywhere, it will be dealt with collectively. He said that the government is responsible for the suffering of the people due to the students‍‍` movement. If the government had reformed the quota logically, they would not have needed to do this movement. Their movement has the support of the people.

Earlier in the day, the main part (operative part) and instructions of the High Court verdict on the 2018 government circular declaring the abolition of existing quotas applicable to jobs (grades 9 to 13) was published.

A High Court bench comprising of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat published the one-page brief judgment. According to the operative part, if the government wants to change, reduce or increase the ratio or percentage of the quotas, the verdict will not be an obstacle.

However, lawyers say that since the Appellate Division has ordered a status quo to be maintained, the High Court‍‍`s verdict cannot be implemented for the time being.

Students have been blocking roads and highways and protesting in universities and important areas, including Dhaka, since July 1, demanding the abolition of the quota system in government jobs.

The quota system, which reserved 56% of positions in government jobs for various quotas, was abolished in 2018. This decision was challenged in 2021 by descendants of freedom fighters, leading to a High Court ruling on June 5, 2024, declaring the abolition of the freedom fighters’ quota illegal.

The government subsequently applied to the Chamber Court of the Appellate Division to suspend the order.