As unrest reigned on roads and rails and university campuses, five ministers and state ministers sat for a closed-door meeting on the quota-reform protests that run simultaneously with the teachers' strikes against what they says discriminatory pension scheme announced by the government.
Awami League General Secretary and Transport Minister Obaidul Quader spoke at a press conference at the Awami League president's political office in Dhanmondi at noon. To a question, Mr Quader said the recalcitrant opposition BNP "has ties to the quota protests".
In Dhaka, key city roads and intersections came to a standstill due to massive demonstrations by students and job seekers protesting the quota system in government jobs.
On the second day of the nationwide blockade programme, university students across the country also blocked highways, streets, and rail ways, demanding the elimination of all 'irrational and discriminatory' quotas in government jobs.
Their primary demand is the elimination of quotas and passage of a law in parliament to reduce the quota system for backward communities to a minimal level, as outlined in the Constitution.
They blocked the key intersections in the capital, including Shahbagh, Paltan, Science Lab, Farmgate, Banglamotor, Karwan Bazar, and Gulistan.
Dhaka University students organised a procession under the banner of the 'Anti-discrimination student movement' in front of the Dhaka University central library, according to the FE's DU correspondent.
The procession traversed various campus roads and reached Shahbagh intersection around 4:30 pm, where they blocked the area at 4:07 pm.
The procession then moved towards Hotel Intercontinental and Banglamotor intersection, disrupting traffic in surroundings.
At the same time, a group of DU students blocked Chankharpul intersection near Mayor Hanif Flyover around 3:30 pm.
Jagannath University students took position at zero point around 4:30 pm on Monday. Earlier, they marched towards Gulistan from Kanthaltala of the campus.
The protestors at Shahbagh intersection chanted various slogans in support of their demand.
As per the programme announced on Sunday, the protesting students continue to boycott classes and examinations and observe strikes in various universities and colleges, including Dhaka University.
Around 4:15 pm, students from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University blocked the road near their university in Agargaon, as reported by Ahad Ali, the officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Police Station.
Rail communication between Dhaka and most parts of the country was restored around 7:30 pm after the protesting students lifted the blockade at Karwan Bazar level-crossing in the capital.
The rail line had been blocked around 6:40 pm, disrupting rail connectivity, according to Sajedul Islam, acting divisional transport officer (Dhaka Division) of Bangladesh Railway.
Our JU correspondent reported that students from Jahangirnagar University (JU) blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, voicing their demands through songs, poems, and slogans as part of a movement to reform the recruitment system and maintain a minimum quota for only backward individuals in government jobs.
On Monday at 2 pm, students and job seekers gathered in front of the central library to initiate a protest march under the banner of the "anti-discrimination student movement," known nationwide as the 'Bangla Blockade.'
The march proceeded through several roads before concluding at the main gate of the university.
The demonstrators then blocked both sides of the Dhaka-Aricha highway, causing significant traffic congestion.
Arif Sohel, convener of JU Anti-discrimination Student Movement, told the FE that despite the movement's demand for quota reform being under trial, their stance has remained consistent since the 2018 protests. The movement advocates for comprehensive quota reform, as opposed to the previous complete abolition of quotas by the executive.
The agitators reported that a class examination boycott is ongoing in educational institutions nationwide. Following their continuous movement on four-point demand and the 'Bangla Blockade' programme, students have now mobilised with a single-point demand to abolish all quotas in all grades of government jobs, in accordance with the law.
Hundreds of students from Rajshahi University blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi railway line to protest the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs.
The protest began with a procession from the university's Paris Road, moving around various academic buildings before reaching the railway line, which they blocked at 11:30 am, adjacent to the university.
In Mymensingh, rail communication between Dhaka and Mymensingh was suspended for two hours on Monday as students from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh railway for the third consecutive day as part of the 'Bangla Blockade'.
The students, demanding the elimination of what they termed irrational and discriminatory quotas in government jobs, set up barricades at Jabbarer Mor around 1:30 pm, halting the Jamalpur Express from Dhaka and disrupting train services.
Train communication resumed at 3:10 pm after the students left the rail tracks.
The protests intensified after the Supreme Court upheld a High Court verdict on July 4, declaring a 2018 government circular abolishing the quota system in public service illegal.
Students are now demanding the reinstatement of the circular that abolished the 30 per cent quota system for children of freedom fighters.
In response to massive student protests for reforms, the government issued a circular in 2018 abolishing the quota system.
However, on October 4, 2018, the government reinstated all types of quotas in class one and two government jobs, sparking protests by descendants of freedom fighters.
Later in 2021, seven job-seekers filed a writ petition challenging the government's decision.
Upon hearing the petition, the High Court issued a rule on December 7, 2021, asking the government to explain as to why their decision should not be declared illegal.
After a hearing on the rule, the High Court bench declared the rule absolute on June 5.
Meanwhile, agitating students decided on Monday that they would not hold any blockade programme today (Tuesday).
Instead, they will conduct online campaigns to spread their agitation across the country intensively and will announce their next course of programs today.
One of the coordinators, Nahid Hasan mentioned all the students across the country to prepare for the next countrywide complete Bangla blockade of which will announce on Tuesday. But no Bangla blockade will be observed tomorrow on Tuesday.
"We will coordinate with all of the students and with other coordinator on Tuesday throw online and offline campaign so that our next Bangla blockade will toughest one. " he announced on Monday.
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