In a significant escalation of their ongoing protests, demonstrators across universities nationwide are demanding that the government convene an emergency session of parliament to address the quota system in government services.
Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the movement, announced plans for Friday’s rallies at Shahbagh on Thursday, emphasizing that the protests are independent of any High Court decisions. “We demand an emergency parliamentary session to pass a law that logically resolves the quota issue. The government is responsible for the public suffering caused by the movement,” Islam stated.
Protest leaders have highlighted recent attacks on students in various universities, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice. Hasnat Abdullah, another coordinator, specifically mentioned incidents at Sylhet, Sunamganj, Chittagong University, Comilla University, Rajshahi University, and Maulana Bhasani University.
Sarjis Islam, another key figure in the movement, stressed the peaceful nature of their protests and called for comprehensive reform of the quota system across all grades of government service. “We want rational reform of the quota system in all grades of Bangladesh government service, not only in grades I and II. We demand a permanent resolution to the quota problem through logical reform,” he said.
Abdullah referenced a High Court verdict to support their cause, saying: “The High Court verdict shows that our movement is logical.” He condemned the attacks on students and reiterated the movement’s faith in the judiciary, concluding, “You asked us to have faith in the High Court, and we have kept our faith. We applaud the High Court verdict.”
Quota reform protesters have now announced campus-wide demonstrations for Friday. Protest rallies and processions will be held on the campuses of all educational institutions across the country in response to attacks on protesters during Thursday’s Bangla Blockade program.
