Photo : Messenger
Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) students continue their protest for the third consecutive day, demanding reforms in the quota system for government jobs.
The students are calling for the abolition of irrational and discriminatory quotas in all grades of government jobs and for the introduction of a fair quota system that benefits underprivileged and special needs groups, as stipulated in the constitution, through legislative action in the parliament.
The ongoing protests at BAU reflect a broader call for equity and justice in the recruitment process for government jobs across Bangladesh.
On Monday, July 8, at noon, students from various halls gathered at the Mukto mancha to continue their protest. They are demanding the annulment of the circular that eliminates the freedom fighter quota, which they deem illegal, and have joined the nationwide "Bangla Blockade" movement. Today, as part of the protest, students blocked the Jamalpur Express train, which travels from Dhaka to Jamalpur, for an hour and forty minutes, halting it at Abdul Jabbar mor within the university premises.
The demonstration began at the Mukto mancha at noon, where students marched through the university's K.R. Market and returned to the Mukto mancha before heading to the Abdul Jabbar intersection. As the Dhaka to Jamalpur-bound Jamalpur Express approached the intersection, the students blocked the train from 1:30 PM to 3:10 PM before allowing it to proceed.
During the blockade, Nishat Anjum Mithila, master's student at the university, stated, "There is a need for a quota system to support the country's underprivileged communities. Disabled individuals, small ethnic groups, and marginalized classes need quotas.
However, it is extremely unjust and discriminatory to extend quotas to the third generation of freedom fighters even 53 years after independence. We demand that the discriminatory quotas in government jobs be reformed to a rational level."
Protesting student Abdullah Al Munna added, "During the Liberation War, we lost not only lives but also the honour of our mothers and sisters. If quotas are to be given, they should also be extended to the descendants of those mothers and sisters, which is currently impossible. If the High Court does not abolish this discriminatory quota, the student community will not return to their studies. We will build an unstoppable movement on the streets."
Messenger/Likhon/Sourov
