Anti-quota protesters to enforce day-long Bangla Blockade tomorrow, court to hear fresh plea over quota

Anti-quota protesters are set to enforce a day-long blockade today to press home their demands, while the Appellate Division is scheduled to hear a fresh plea filed by two Dhaka University students challenging the reinstatement of the quota system.

However, the protesting students said no one from the coordinating body of the "Anti-discriminatory Student Movement" went to the court.

"No legal action was taken by the protesters… Those who went to court had gone on their own initiative. It has nothing to do with the anti-discrimination student movement," said Abdul Hannan Masud, a coordinator of the movement, in a statement.

Nahid Islam, another coordinator, said at a press conference on Tuesday(9 July), "Our movement is not in the context of the court. Therefore, the Bangla Blockade programme will continue from 10am to sunset on Wednesday."

He said students will gather at the DU Central Library from 10am. Later, the blockade will be enforced at all the intersections of the capital including Shahbagh.

"Our blockade programme will include roads and railways. We call upon all the students, parents and the public to participate in the programme," Nahid said.

Al Saadi Bhuiyan, a student of the anthropology department and president of the Dhaka University Journalist Association, along with Ahnaf Sayeed Khan from the Urdu department, submitted the petition challenging the High Court's judgment to reinstate the quota system for government jobs.

According to Shah Monjurul Hoque, lawyer representing the petitioners, said as the complete High Court judgment reinstating the 30% freedom fighter quota in government jobs has not yet been published, the chamber court used special power to fix the date.

"The appeal filed by the state against the High Court verdict is currently under consideration in the Appellate Division. Meanwhile, Al Saadi Bhuiyan and Ahnaf Sayeed Khan have sought to intervene as parties in the state's appeal against the High Court's decision," Monjurul told TBS.

Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader extended thanks to the quota protesters for not giving any programme on Tuesday, saying the quota agitators have appointed lawyers in the case over quota system in government service.

"I would like to extend my thanks to the protesters for not giving any programmes today," he said while addressing a joint meeting of the party.

Since 2 June, university students have been holding sit-ins, organising marches and blocking roads and highways, demanding the reinstatement of the 2018 quota cancellation circular.

Our demand is towards the government, not the court: Protesters

On Tuesday afternoon, speaking at a press conference in front of Dhaka University Central Library, the movement coordinators said the demands of the anti-quota protesters are directed towards the executive branch of the government, not the court.

"As our demand is in view of all grades of government jobs, the matter does not fall within the purview of the ongoing court case. For this reason, we will applaud if the process of meeting our demands is started by forming a commission," said Hasnat Abdullah, one of the coordinators of the anti-quota movement.

He said, "Our movement is not to cancel the quota system but to reform it in accordance with reality. A 5% quota in government jobs for persons with disabilities, minorities and children of freedom fighters is reasonable."

"We are not opposing the freedom fighter quota. We believe that the quota for grandsons of freedom fighters and the dependent quota are unreasonable."

Meanwhile, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said the court is the appropriate place to resolve the ongoing crisis over the quota system as street movements cannot give any solution to this.

"This is a matter of the court. There would be no solution to this through street movement. It could result in contempt of court. That is why, court is the appropriate place to resolve the crisis over quota," he said while talking to reporters at the ministry on Tuesday.

JU students block Dhaka-Aricha highway

Even though the anti-quota protesters did not announce a blockade programme for Tuesday, students from Jahangirnagar University blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway.

They started gathering in front of the university's central library at 2:30pm, then blocked the highway at 3:40pm.

The students, however, cleared the streets at around 4:20pm as heavy traffic built up on both sides of the blockade.

Besides staging the blockade, students of 37 out of 38 departments and institutes of the university boycotted classes and examinations on Tuesday. They said they will not return to class until their demands are met.