Shawdesh Desk:

Students from different public universities and colleges blocked major highways in the country and several crossings in Dhaka on Sunday, demanding the cancellation of the High Court order that reinstated 30 per cent quotas for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren in government jobs.

Traffic movements in the capital collapsed largely as protesting students blocked busy crossings such as Shahbagh, Science Laboratory, Nilkhet, Banglamotor, Karwan Bazar, and Agargaon to press for their demands.

Students of different universities, including Jahangirnagar University, Comilla University, Barishal University, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University in Dinajpur, Islamic University in Kushtia, and the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, blocked highways, including Dhaka-Aricha, Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Barishal, Dinajpur-Rangpur, Kushtia-Khulna, and Sylhet-Sunamganj, triggering long tailbacks in the highways that left commuters suffering immensely.

In Dhaka city, students, under the banner of Students Movements against Discrimination, blocked major crossings, paralysing the city traffic, and leaving many people stuck on their transports or walking to their destination.

Students chanted slogans, recited poems, and played instruments while protesting, with the police watching from a distance.

Nahid Islam, one of the leaders of the anti-quota movement, announced that they would impose blockades in more city areas on Monday after closing their blockade in Shahbagh that lasted for more than four hours between 4:00pm to 8:00pm.

‘We will continue the blockade for an indefinite period. The students will gather in front of the university’s central library at about 3:30pm,’ said Nahid.

He said that if the ruling Awami League’s student wing, Bangladesh Chattra League, tried to create obstacles for anyone to join protests, they would blockade residential halls.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina dismissed the movement against the quota system in government jobs on Sunday, calling it an ‘irrational’ and ‹sub-judice’ matter.

‘I don’t think there is any rationality for what is being done today in the name of movement by wasting  study time,’ United News of Bangladesh quoted the prime minister as saying when central leaders of the Juba Mohila League paid her a courtesy call in Ganabhaban.

Protesting students remained defiant despite the remarks from the prime minister.

‘We want to say with due respect that we proved the logic of our movement in 2018,’ said protesting students’ leader Naid.

A procession paraded several places around the campus of Dhaka University before blocking the Shahbagh crossing.

The Appellate Division on Thursday refused to stay the High Court verdict that had asked the government on June 5 to restore freedom fighters’ quota in the civil service, sparking fresh anti-quota protests by students.

The court pronounced the verdict after disposing of a writ petition filed by Ohidul Islam, son of freedom fighter Md Foyez Uddin from Rahimganj of Mymensingh, and six others in 2021 challenging the legality of abolishing a 30 per cent quota for the dependents of freedom fighters.

Ohidul, who studied English at Chittagong University, is now a teacher at a private college in Jatrabari, in the capital.

He told New Age that he is personally not involved in politics, but is a supporter of the ruling Awami League.

Senior pro-Awami League lawyer Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury is the chief lawyer for petitioners demanding quota restoration.

Protesting students on Saturday announced a programme titled ‘Bangla Blockade’ calling for a boycott of exams and classes in all universities and colleges across the country.

A section of students from Dhaka College and Eden College joined the protests.

Dhaka College students blocked the Science Laboratory crossing at 1:40pm and stayed there until 7:00pm boycotting classes and exams.

Dhaka College principal Mohammad Yusuf, however, claimed that they had been taking classes since morning.

‘There was no scheduled examination today,’ he added.

Students of Eden Women’s College boycotted classes and examinations in the morning and blocked the Nilkhet crossing in the afternoon.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ramna Division deputy commissioner for traffic said that all members of the traffic department tried their hearts and souls to reduce traffic congestion amid protests.

Meanwhile, a professor in the sociology department of Dhaka University has allegedly suspended a student from the department›s debating club for participating in the quota reform movement and threatened to file a contempt of court case against those involved, UNB reported.

Students of Jahangirnagar University blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway in front of the main entrance of the campus for two hours from 11:00am to 1:00pm, causing a long tailback on one of the busiest highways in the country, New Age correspondent at JU reported.

Chittagong University students blocked the Sholosohor road from 4:00pm to 7:30pm at gate number 2 of Sholosohor Railway Station, one of the main avenues of the city that connected several crossings, including GEC, Lakkhan Bazar, Tigerpass, Agrabad, and EPZ, New Age Staff Correspondent in Chattogram reported.

Students of the Islamic University in Kushtia blocked the Kushtia-Khulna Highway for two hours, from 11:00am to 1:00pm as part of the ‘Bangla Blockade’ programme, New Age correspondent in Kushtia reported.

Agitating students of Rajshahi University announced the boycott of classes and examinations for an indefinite period from a protest rally held on the university campus, New Age Staff Correspondent in Rajshahi reported.

Students of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology staged demonstrations blocking Sylhet-Sunamganj road in front of the main entrance of the university campus, New Age Staff Correspondent in Sylhet reported.

Students of Barishal University and BM College blocked highways and roads to press home their demand, New Age correspondent in Barishal reported.

On October 4, 2018, the government issued a circular abolishing all 56 per cent quotas in the civil service in the wake of fierce street protests by public university students and jobseekers demanding reforms to the quota system introduced in 1972.

Different groups for which quotas in the civil service were created are – 30 per cent for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren, 10 per cent for women, 10 per cent for people from underdeveloped districts, five per cent for ethnic communities; and one per cent for physically challenged people.