Quota movement 2024: Major roads, railways to face nationwide blockade

Students who are protesting against reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs withdrew their blockade at Shahbagh intersection in the capital on Saturday. 

However, the anti-quota activists called a ‍‍`Bangla Blockade‍‍` programme -- a nationwide blocked in major roads and railways nearest to the educational institutions -- from 3 pm on Sunday (July 7).

The students have been demonstrating for the fifth day in a row.

Quota movement 2024: Four-point demand

• The quota system in government jobs announced in 2018 should be abolished and merit-based recruitment circular should be retained.
• Irrational and discriminatory quotas in government jobs (in all grades) should be removed and quota should be brought to a minimum level by forming a commission subject to the continuation of the circular of ‍‍`18‍‍`. In that case, according to the constitution, only the backward people can be considered.
• The quota facility cannot be used more than once in the government job recruitment examination and if qualified candidates are not available in the quota, the vacant posts will be appointed according to merit.
• Effective measures have to be taken to ensure corruption-free, neutral and merit-based bureaucracy. 

Before withdrawing  the blockade, Nahid Islam, coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, said, "The ‍‍`Bangla Blockade‍‍` program has announced from 3 pm tomorrow. Not only Shahbagh intersection, students of universities and colleges will come down at every point including Shahbagh and Dhaka city‍‍`s Science Lab, Chankharpool, Nilkhet, Motijheel. Students at district and university levels outside  Dhaka will block the highway."

He said, "The government is behaving irresponsibly by putting students and the court face to face. The executive cannot avoid its responsibility. In 2018, the Prime Minister said there would be no quota. So why did the quota came back? Why are students being mocked? If necessary, we will carry out programs like hartal to realize our demands. This is not only a student movement, but teachers and guardians should also come down to the movement. "

"The Dhaka University library must be opened immediately or we will be forced to open it on our own," Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists obstruct the protesting students at Dhaka University (DU) halls. But we know how to break the lock of the hall. I urge the university administration to be active in this regard." He added.

The protesting students will observe Bangla blockade program from 3 pm tomorrow. Not only Shahbagh intersection, students of universities and colleges will come down at every point including Science Lab, Chankharpool, Nilkhet, Motijheel in Dhaka city. Students at district and university levels outside Dhaka will block the highway.

Earlier, the students took position at Shahbagh intersection to press home their four-point demand, including scrapping the quota system in government jobs announced in 2018 and reinstating a circular on merit-based recruitment. From 2:30 pm on Saturday, students of different halls started gathering in front of the university‍‍`s central library with banners and festoons of their own halls. Later, the protesters marched through Hallpara-VC Chattar-TSC-BUET, Eden College and took position at Shahbagh intersection around 5:45pm.