Quota reformists will hold a mammoth march before submitting a memorandum to the President today (Sunday), demanding rational changes in the government job quota system.
Simultaneously, the agitating students will also march towards offices of deputy commissioners across the country and submit memorandums to the President through them.
Coordinators of the Student Movement against Discrimination, a platform for quota reforms, announced the fresh programme at a press conference in front of the Dhaka University (DU) central library on Saturday.
They, however, condemned a lawsuit filed against them on charges of vandalising public property, and announced a 24-hour ultimatum to withdraw it.
The protester vowed to continue boycotting classes and exams and strike at the university and college levels across the country unless their one-point demand is met.
The march programme will commence from the DU central library at 11:00am.
Speaking on the occasion, Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the movement, said they had been launching protests in a peaceful manner. The government should create a favourable environment for holding a discussion with students to address the crisis.
"But the government has planned to suppress us with the help of law enforcement agency, government-backed student organisation and other forces."
He said the government would have to take responsibilities of any incident similar to that prevailed in 2018, which the students don not expect to repeat.
"Our strike will continue for an indefinite period until out demand is met," he said, adding that the agitating students will not return to classrooms until their demand is met.
Declaring the ultimatum to withdraw the case, he said such intimidation to suppress students would bear no fruit.
Drawing attention of international rights bodies, he said tactics are being made to suppress students' democratic rights and logical demands.
"If our demands are not met, we are preparing for a tougher mass movement," he said.
Another coordinator, Sarjis Alam, urged the teachers to cooperate with them.
The case was filed as anti-quota student movement marched to Shahbagh intersection chanting slogans and prevented police from discharging their duties.
They tore down police barricades and locked horns with them, leaving some cops injured.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) held a press conference at Madhu's canteen at 5:30pm on Saturday.
BCL President Saddam Hossain urged the protesters to backtrack on the movement.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told a programme in Mymensingh that the agitators should refrain from their protests as a quota system prevails in many parts of the world.
Our JU correspondent adds: Student representatives from Jahangirnagar University (JU) will join the march programme in Dhaka.
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