Govt wants peaceful solution through talks with protesting students: Arafat

The government wants to move towards a peaceful solution through talks with the students protesting for quota reform, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said today (18 July).

"The agitating students in a press conference said that they are looking for a solution through visible action from the government. The government also wants to solve it," the minister made the remark in a press statement this afternoon.

"The most positive statement that the students have made is that the 'Anti-Discrimination Student Movement' is in no way involved in the ongoing vandalism, arson, etc. That is, they have acknowledged that violence taking place in the name of the movement."

The minister further said, "Our statement on this is the same. The prime minister also believes that the students are not involved in the violence. The third party has entered here. The agitators have also said that the movement will not take responsibility if anyone commits violence in the ongoing movement.

"The government is concerned about the security of the agitating students. We want to sit with the agitating student leaders and move towards a peaceful solution to prevent the unscrupulous attempts of third parties to take advantage," he added.

Earlier in the day, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government is ready to sit with the quota reform protesters and discuss a way out from the current volatile situation prevailing in the country, adding that a judicial body had also been formed to find out the reasons behind the killings of six people yesterday.