Movement will continue until demands met: Quota-reform leaders

In issuing a fresh 48-hour ultimatum to the government to accept their four-point 'urgent' demand for creating an environment of dialogue, the leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement on Tuesday said their campaign would continue until the demands were met, reports UNB. Speaking at a press conference, they welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on quota in government jobs, but they demanded forming an inquiry commission to properly resolve the issue. "We gave an eight-point demand based on the unfolding situations. Later we placed four-point urgent demand on an emergency basis. Because if these four points aren't met, there is no scope of discussion on the rest of the points," said Sarjis Alam, one of the coordinators of the movement. The four demands include restoration of internet service, withdrawal of curfew, creating a proper environment for reopening educational institutions after pulling out the law

campuses and opening the university halls and ensuring safety of leaders of the student movement.

Nahid Islam, another coordinator, said, "We want justice for all the killings."

"I was abducted and tortured physically and mentally for 24 hours," said Nahid.

He said their platform urged other students and the people of the country to take to streets after the violent attacks unfolded on the protesters on Dhaka University campus on Monday.

"Government will have to take responsibility for the situation that unfolded across the country. The government is still trying to evade the responsibility blaming the students and other political parties," he said.

'Three of our coordinators' submitted their demands, but it was broadcast by television as a 'dialogue', he said.

The quota reform movement was an apolitical one, he said, adding "But the government tried to handle it as political from the start."

A policy making dialogue was needed with the protesting students and other stakeholders who fall under quota before publishing the gazette, he said.

"We won't accept the published gazette as final resolution without that kind of dialogue. We want a policy making dialogue comprising students and stakeholders after a proper environment for dialogue is created. We are urging to form an independent committee so that we don't face any issue with quota in the future," he said.

"Enforced disappearance and crackdown on students need to stop. We demand to create a proper environment to go back to educational institutions. The government will have to take responsibility for the current situation," Sarjis said.

No one would have died if the government handled the situation by dialogue instead of tackling it with violence, he said.

He mentioned that the movement is not concerned only to this gazette and said, "The movement will continue till we get answers and justice for all the deaths, injured, of the mass people that supported us during the protests, and their concerns."