‘Quota reform will benefit all institutions’

Private university students who joined the protests demanding reform in quota system in public services said they extended support to the issue considering it logical one.

They were hardly interested in public sector, unlike their friends of public universities but private university students are increasingly joining the race for public sector jobs, some of them said.

They believe if the quota system is amended, students of all institutions would be benefitted.

“A lot of friends of mine who participated in the protests are not interested in government jobs. Although I may pursue higher education abroad, I joined the demonstration since I feel that the quota system should be changed,” Rakib Hasan, a second year student of Computer Science Department of Daffodil International University, told Prothom Alo

Rakib was found busy painting slogans for quota reforms on the street.

He said that he might not vie for government job but he joined the movement because he thinks the demands for the reform in quota system is logical. 

Private university students took to streets on Tuesday apparently incited by finance minister AMA Muhith’s remark that government is planning to impose a vat on private universities.

But they resumed their movement on Wednesday morning even after government’s assurance following an ECNEC meeting Tuesday noon of taking no such action.

Some students, however, disagree that private university students took the street for the finance minister’s remarks.

AF Irfan, a 3rd semester student of the same department at DIU, said that he joined the movement because he feels quota reform is also his demand.

Irfan was found chanting slogan with hundreds of others at the capital’s Sobhanbagh area.

A friend of Irfan standing beside him said that reform in quota system will also benefit private university students.

“It is not important whether I will go for government sector or not but I think reform in the quota system is needed for overall betterment of the job sector in the country,” he said.

Some students, however, said that nowadays many private university students want to join government jobs. 

“Many private university students nowadays consider public service very lucrative. The concept that private university students are not interested in public services will change soon,” Srabani Ahmed, a student of DIU said.

She said that she joined the movement as she thinks reform in the quota system would increase her chance to get a job in the public sector.

Same voice was echoed by University of Asia Pacific student Sharif Chowdhury and Rabiul Islam. The duo said participation of private university students in government jobs has increased recently.

Rabiul Islam, a student of University of Asia Pacific, said, he was following the development of the movement for couple of months and finally he decided to take the street on Sunday.