Government job seekers who were demanding the cancellation of the quota system in recruitment to government jobs announced fresh programmes on Thursday to realise their demand would organise demos also today (Friday).As per the programmes, the students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) will hold a procession on the university campus protesting the quota system, said Rafiql Islam, spokesperson for the agitating students.
The students of Dhaka Medical College will hold a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar at 12 noon to press home the demand.
Besides, the students of Dhaka University will hold a rally at Shahbagh intersection at 3pm from where they will announce further fresh programmes.
Earlier, students who gathered at Shahbagh intersection demanding cancellation of the quota system, were forced to leave the place as police charged baton and lobbed teargas shells on them.
At least 20 students were also injured as they engaged in a clash with law enforcers during the police action.
The students, who gathered at Shahbagh intersection demanding cancellation of the quota system in recruitment to government jobs,
Witnesses said the students gathered at the Shahbagh intersection for the second consecutive day on Thursday morning to press home their demand.
However, police swung into action around 11 am and lobbed baton charge and teargas shells on the agitating students and fired over 100 rubber bullets.
The students retaliated by pelting the law enforcers with brickbats.
Later, the unruly students retreated to the Dhaka University campus and vandalised five vehicles, including one of private TV channel ATN Bangla and two private cars, near the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC).
They also vandalised the office of the DU Vice-chancellor and the gate of his residence.
On information, police rushed there and lobbed teargas canister and fired several rounds of rubber bullets to disperse them.
At one stage, activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), equipped with lethal weapons, joined police and attacked the agitating students, leaving 20 injured.
Meanwhile, DU Proctor Amzad Ali flanked by BCL men went to the spot when he said the aim of the movement is not to press for demand for cancellation of the quota system but to create anarchy in the country.
A tense situation was prevailing at Dhaka University and adjoining areas following the incident.
Vehicular movement in and around Shahbagh returned to the normal in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, students of Jahangirnagar University (JU), Chittagong University (CU), Rajshahi University (RU), Sylhet University of Science and Technology (SUST) and Khulna University (KU) also staged demonstrations on Thursday demanding the cancellation of the quota system.
The JU students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway for about an hour on Thursday demanding immediate cancellation of the quota system in recruitment to government jobs.
Witnesses said several thousand students of JU under the banner of Sadharon Sikkharthi brought out a procession from the university campus and put up barricade on the highway in front of the university at about 11.00am.
Due to the blockade, vehicular movement on the busiest highway came to a halt creating long tailbacks and causing immense suffering to the commuters.
Later, the demonstrating students withdrew the blockade around 11:50 am following a rally in front of Shaheed Minar on the campus.
The CU students formed a human chain in front the Shaheed Minar at their university around 11:40am to press for the demand.
They also brought out a procession from the registrar building that ended at the CU railway station.
RU students put barricade on Dhaka-Rajshahi highway demanding the abolition of the quota system in the examination of civil service.
In Sylhet, SUST students blocked Sylhet-Sunamganj highway at their university main gate at noon.
The KU students formed a human chain on the university campus around 11am protesting the quota system which they said is injustice to the meritorious students.
Earlier on Wednesday, in the face of movement of students of different educational institutions, including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University, Dhaka College and Eden College against the public service quota system at Shahbagh intersection, Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) said it would review the 34th BCS preliminary test results.
– UNB
