How the quota reform movement unfolds

Students and job seekers began their movement on 5 June, demanding rational reforms in the quota system for government jobs. From light to heavy, the students scaled up their movement gradually.

Here

is a timeline of the movement:

They are - Asif Mahmud, Abu Baker Majumdar and Rifat Rashid. Both Asif and Baker posted on Facebook that they were left blindfolded five days after being picked up on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Rifat Rashid is in hiding.

All three of them are students at Dhaka University. Asif Mahmud was left blindfolded in the Hatirjheel area of the capital and Abu Baker in the Dhanmondi area. However, they didn’t make it clear as to who picked them up in their Facebook post.

• 23 July, Tuesday

  Gazette notification published reforming the quota system in government jobs.

  Till Tuesday, there have been reports of 197 deaths in clashes all over the country including Dhaka. In a latest report, Chittagong University (CU) student Hridoy Chandra Tarua, 22, succumbed to his injuries and died yesterday, Tuesday, while undergoing treatment at Dhaka medical College Hospital. He had been shot in Chittagong on Thursday.

  Another person died at Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar.

  News of eight more deaths was gathered yesterday. This includes five at the Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital and two at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka. Another died at Savar's Enam Medical College Hospital.

  The news of these deaths were gathered from certain hospitals, the persons who brought in the dead bodies, and from sources among the relatives of the deceased. The picture of all hospitals was not received.

  As per the latest information, six died on 16 July (Tuesday), 41 on Thursday, 84 on Friday, 38 on Saturday, 21 on Sunday, 5 on Monday and two on Tuesday.

• 22 July, Monday:

  Prime minister approved the gazette notification on quota refrom prepared based on the court order.

  A total of 13 more deaths were reported in the clashes. Of them, five died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Monday. Three died in Narayanganj on Saturday, whose bodies were recovered on Monday. Four bodies were taken to Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital on Friday, as per news confirmed on Monday. Meanwhile, information of death of a police man was made public on the day.

  Death toll reached 187 on that day.

• 21 July, Sunday:

  Appellate Division sets 7pc quota, leaving remaining 93 pc for merit-based recruitment. Of the quota, 5pc was set for children of freedom fighters, martyred freedom fighters and Biranganas, one per cent for ethnic minorities and one per cent for physically challenged and third gender people. Posts set aside for quotas can be filled up from merit lists if remain vacant. The Appellate Division ordered the executive branch of the government to immediately issue gazette notification in this end.

  A full-bench of Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan passed the verdict unanimously.

  Meanwhile, death toll rises to 174 in five days. A total of 550 arrested over the country.

  Quota reform movement’s platform coordinator Nahid Islam was picked up and tortured.

  Coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement set government 48-hours to meet their four-point demand at a press briefing. The four demands are: restoration of internet service; withdrawal of curfew; withdrawal of law enforcement agencies from campuses, opening of dormitories and ensuring a congenial atmosphere for the return of students; and ensuring security to coordinators of the movement.

  Meanwhile, a joint statement was sent to the newsmen on behalf of 56 coordinators around 4:30pm on Monday. A coordinator later confirmed the veracity of the joint statement.

  The joint statement urged students to intensify the ‘complete shutdown’.

  It added that the government cannot shun the responsibility of killing, simply using a court order.

  The statement alleged that the government is repressing students of the quota reform movement. It also added that over 300 students and people were killed.

  The coordinators also alleged that the police picked up some key organisers and tried in vain to compel them to issue charged up statement. Coordinator Nahid Islam was tortured brutally. They also sought whereabouts of coordinators Asif Mahmud, Abu Baker Majumder and others.

• 20 July, Saturday:

  Curfew imposed in the country. Clashes continue in Dhaka city and elsewhere. The flashpoints of violence in the city include Jatrabari, Uttara, Badda and Mirpur. Clashes also took place in Mohammadpur. A total of 26 died on Saturday, taking the death toll in four days to 148.

  Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said curfew will remain until normalcy returns. Anti-discrimination student movement's key coordinator Nahid Islam allegedly picked up.

Three coordinators of the platform met two ministers and a state minister at the state guest house Padma and placed eight-point demands.

The demands are, investigation must be carried out in every incident of killing, perpetrators to be arrested and brought to book; financial assistance to be provided to families of martyrs and jobs provided to one member of each family; seats to be allocated in every residential hall of universities through university administration, terrorism should be stopped in campuses and student unions to be activated; all cases filed against students to be withdrawn, the students who participated in the movement must not be harassed politically, legally or through university administration.

Massive vandalism carried out in Kazipara and Mirpur-10 metrorail stations during violence. At least 113 vehicles set ablaze in three government installations during Friday’s violent protests.

• 19 July, Friday:

   

  Capital Dhaka was rocked by unprecedented violence, firing, arson and deaths centering the ‘complete shutdown’ of the students protesting demanding quota reform in government jobs. Clashes took place in other districts too.

  At least 44 killed in the city alone in firing and clashes. A total of 56 were killed outside Dhaka. Several hundred people including students, leaders and activists of political parties, policemen, journalists and pedestrians were injured. Only the students had participated in the movement till the beginning, but locals were also seen joining on Friday.

  The demonstrators said they will continue their ‘shutdown’ until their 9-point demands are met. The demands include prime minister will have to seek apology in public taking the responsibility of killing of students; road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader and home minister Asaduzzaman Khan will have to be removed from their respective ministries and party posts; DIGs, police commissioners and police superintendents of the areas where students were killed will have to be terminated; vice chancellors and proctors of Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Jagannath University will have to step down; policemen who shot the students, Chhatra League, Jubo Leauge and other ‘goons’ who attacked students will have to be arrested and charged in murder case and families of those martyred and injured will have to be compensated.

  A total of 103 were killed centering the protests in the country.

  Curfew was imposed in the night, army men were deployed. Internet service was totally suspended in the country.

• 18 July, Thursday

  A total of 27 died as protests, violence, clash and firing flared up across the country (this death is based on the information received on that very day. Dhaka and other parts of the country came to a near standstill centering on the all-out blockade of the protesters. Other than Dhaka, 47 districts of the country saw protests, clashes, police firing and attacks. At least 1500 were injured in these incidents. The protesters clashed with law enforcers in some places and with ruling party men in some other.

  Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) men were deployed across the country.

• 17 July, Wednesday:

  Protesters drove out Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders and activists from different campuses including Dhaka University and declared the campuses ‘free from politics’.

  Pitched battles, blockade, processions took place in Dhaka and elsewhere. A coffin procession of DU students was foiled by police that ensued chase and counter chase. As the university administration ordered the students to vacate residential halls, many students left halls in face of police action. But many other students stayed on the halls defying the order to vacate the halls. ‘

  Prime minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the nation at 7:30am. She urged judicial investigation over the deaths of six people and also urged the students to show patience until a verdict comes.

  In around 8-minute-long speech, prime minister said, ‘I believe, our students will get justice from the High Court, they won’t have to be dejected.’

• 16 July, Tuesday:

  Massive protests across the country. BCL, Jubo League and other ruling party men attacked the protesters. Six were killed in different parts of the country. A protester in Rangpur was killed by police firing. Footages and pictures of Abu Sayeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University, being killed went viral.

  BCL president Saddam Hossain in the afternoon said, “Movements will come and go but Chhatra League will remain here. Everything would be remembered and answered properly. Not a single incident will go unanswered.”

  Protesters roll out new programmes of Gayebana janaza and coffin procession on Wednesday.

• 15 July, Monday

  Speaking at a press briefing at Awami League president’s political office, the party’s general secretary Obaidul Quader said Chhatra League is enough to give reply to the quota protesters who chanted ‘Razakar’ slogan. Chhatra League is prepared to give befitting reply to self-proclaimed Razakars and haughty protesters.

  BCL president Saddam Hossain also threatened to answer those who chanted ‘I’m Razakar’ slogan.

  A clash broke out on DU campus around 3:00pm between Chhatra League and protesters. The protesters were beaten indiscriminately, and shots were fired to them. A total of 297 received treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

• 14 July, Sunday:

  Addressing a press briefing at Ganabhaban, prime minister Sheikh Hasina said, ‘I’ve nothing to do regarding the quota issue.’ She said the matter is under trial and it will be settled there. Replying to a question, the prime minister said, ‘If the grandchildren of freedom fighters don’t get, should the grandchildren of Razakars will get jobs?’

  Prime minister also said she lifted quota system in 2018 out of annoyance. She wanted to what happened if the quota system is repealed. After the decision, number of women joining civil service declined and none from 23 districts got recruited in police.

  The protesters placed a memorandum to the president and gave the government 24-hour ultimatum to reform quota in all grades of government jobs.

  At midnight, DU students erupted in protestes alleging that they were demeaned. BCL attacked a protest of students on Chittagong University campus. Students also held demonstration on Jahangirnagar University and Jagannath University.

  The students of DU gathered at Raju Memorial Sculpture and chanted various slogans including, ‘Cheyechilam Odhikar, hoye gelam Razakar’, roughly translated as ‘We sought our rights, but have been made Razakars’.

• 13 July, Saturday:

  The students announced to place a memorandum to the president to reform quota in all grades of government jobs.

  State minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat said the government has nothing to do about quota since the matter under trial.

• 12 July, Friday:

  Students organised demonstrations in different universities and colleges of the country, although it was a weekly holiday. The students blocked Shahbagh intersection after a rally on Dhaka University campus. Rajshahi University students blocked railway line.

• 11 July, Thursday:

  Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said the quota protesters are flexing muscle against the highest court of the country, which is unwarranted and illegal.

  Home minister said the protesters are ‘crossing their limits’.

  Protesters held blockade in different places despite police’s obstruction.

• 10 July: The Appellate Division imposed a status quo on quota for four weeks. Demand to reform quota system for government recruitments under all grades.

• 9 July: Announcement of dawn-to-dusk Bangla Blockade across the country.

• 8 July: Blockade at 11 spots in Dhaka, demonstration at nine universities, railway blockade at three spots, and blockade at six highways.

• 7 July: Bangla Blockade takes Dhaka to a standstill for hours. Announcement to boycott classes and examinations at colleges and universities.

• 6 July: Blockade and demonstration at different universities.

• 5 July: Demonstration and road blockade.

• 4 July: The Appellate Division did not stay the High Court verdict that invalidated the 2018 circular on cancellation of quota.

• 3 July: Blockade and demonstration for one and a half hours at Shahbagh, in addition to six universities.

• 2 July: One-hour blockade at Shahbagh, alongside 20-minute blockade on the Dhaka-Aricha highway before the Jahangirnagar University campus.

• 1 July: Student rally and demonstration at Dhaka University and some other universities. The protesters set 4 July as a deadline to meet the demand.