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President receives memorandum on quota reform

The quota reform protesters recently handed over their memorandum to President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban.

The memorandum was delivered to the president's military secretary after 3:00 pm. Afterward, they went to Gulistan, where they joined other students who were already taking their positions.

As the delegation made their way to Bangabhaban, a large crowd of students and job seekers gathered in front of the Gulistan shopping complex, passionately chanting slogans to support their demands.

A diverse group has come together to form a delegation of protesters. Among them are Nahid Islam, A Kader, Asif Mahmud, Md Mahin Sarker, Hasib Al Islam, Sarjis Alam, Meherun Nesa, Sumaya, Asif, Rifat, Arif Hossain, and Masud.

In a powerful display of unity, students initiated a mass march today at noon, starting from the Dhaka University library.

The protest was organised under the 'anti-discrimination student movement' banner.

A crowd of students assembled in front of the library well before 11:00 am, forming a small procession. Later, additional processions made their way to the scene.

A large group of students initiated a procession at 12:02 pm to participate in the mass march.

The procession took various routes through the Dhaka University campus, Shahbagh, and Matsha Bahban, eventually encountering a police barricade at Shikkha Odhikar Chottor.

Subsequently, they proceeded forward, defying the barricade. At Zero Point and GPO intersections, the students faced obstruction from the police.

During the altercation with the police, a group of students positioned themselves at Zero Point at 1:18 pm.

Meanwhile, another section of students, including leaders Nahid Islam, Hasnat Abdullah, and others, were observed engaging in discussions with the police.

The delegation proceeded to the Bangabhaban around 1:30 pm. Nahid informed TGE that the students would be updated on their progress.

Meanwhile, students from universities and colleges outside the capital have submitted a memorandum to the president via deputy commissioners.

In addition to the large-scale march, the students took a stand by boycotting classes and exams and have been on strike for the sixth consecutive day.

Since 1 July, the students advocating for quota system reform have been engaged in an ongoing movement. At the heart of the movement lies a set of demands, the most prominent being the restoration of the quota system abolished in 2018.

Since 7 July, there has been a singular focus on one demand. There is a growing call for the parliament to enact legislation that would eliminate unjust and biased quotas in all levels of government employment while reducing the quotas for historically disadvantaged communities outlined in the constitution to a minimal extent.

A proposal is to implement a maximum quota of 5 percent in all grades.