Students of DU, JU, other institutions demonstrate

Students of Dhaka University (DU), Jahangirnagar University (JU), the seven colleges affiliated with DU and other colleges under the National University staged demonstrations on Wednesday against reinstatement of the quota system in the civil service.
A large number of DU students including job aspirants brought out a procession from the university's central library where they chanted slogans like 'No Quota, Merit, Merit', and 'Down with the Quota System' etc.
As the procession reached Shahbagh in the capital, the protesters held a rally there.
Addressing they rally, they expressed determination to continue their agitation until the government moves away from reinstatement of the quota system in the civil service, following a High Court verdict.
At a stage of the demonstration, they blocked the road at Shahbagh intersection, halting vehicular movement.
Earlier, the protesters staged a blockade at Shahbagh intersection for an hour on Tuesday on the same demand.
With the students of DU, students of the seven government colleges affiliated with it and various other colleges under the National University participated in the demonstration.
The protesting students voiced a four-point demand that includes abolition of the quota system in government jobs announced in 2018 and retention of the merit-based recruitment circular; expeditious abolition of unreasonable and discriminatory quotas in all grades of government jobs (except those for the underprivileged and disabled) by constituting a commission and taking effective measures to ensure a corruption-free, impartial and merit-based bureaucracy.
The quote system was introduced in September 1972 by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Until 2018, there was 56 per cent quota in government jobs in Bangladesh.
There were reserved 30 per cent freedom fighter quota, 10 per cent women quota, 10 per cent quota for residents of backward districts, five per cent for people from minority ethnic groups and 1 per cent for disabled people.
That year, there were large protests in various educational institutions of the country, including Dhaka University, demanding quota reform.
The agitators demanded bringing down the quota from 56 per cent to 10 per cent by reforming it.
Later, on October 4 that year, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular abolishing the quota system.
Afterward in 2021, the children of some freedom fighters filed a petition with the High Court challenging the part of the circular that canceled the quota of freedom fighters.
In the judgment of the writ, that part of the circular was declared invalid on June 5 this year. Since then, students of various universities have been protesting for the cancellation of the HC verdict.
Another report adds: Students at Jahangirnagar University (JU) staged a demonstration on Wednesday against the reinstatement of quota in first and second class government jobs.
As part of their agitation, they put up barricade on the Dhaka-Aricha highway for two hours.
Their pre-scheduled blockade programme halted traffic from 3to 5 pm.
Earlier, they brought out a procession from the base of the Sangshaptak sculpture in front of the university central library. Commuters faced inconvenience when the students blocked the highway for two hours.
A student of the Drama and Dramatics Department, Sharan Ahsan, remarked, "Our constitution allows a quota system to benefit the backward, tribal, or disadvantaged communities. However, if quotas prioritise those who are not disadvantaged, it devalues the truly talented and hardworking, potentially leading to a meritless bureaucracy."
Besides, students of other universities, including Chittagong University and Bangladesh Agricultural University, also staged protests.
shakibtahmid05@gmail