Quader sees vested group behind quota reform movement 

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader has claimed that there is a vested quarter behind the students’ ongoing movement to reform the quota system in government jobs.

“Various conspiracies are underway at home and abroad to topple the incumbent government. There are efforts to change the court’s judgment by force. A vested quarter remains behind all these,” he said while addressing a press conference at Dhanmondi in Dhaka. 

He defended the Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) action on the student protests and said blaming the student front emerged as a new fashion.

“What I saw in newspapers indicates that blaming the BCL has emerged as a fashion. It has been blamed for everything, though its 500 activists, including 20 central leaders, have been injured during the attack, and two sustained bullet wounds,” he added.

Obaidul Quader alleged that exiled BNP leader Tarique Rahman took over the leadership of the quota reform movement and his party extended their support in public.

“They are trying to gain political benefit by supporting an apolitical movement. Tarique Rahman deployed various evil forces to forge a political movement, just like 2014, 2015, and 2018. Alongside the BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, other like-minded parties also joined the movement,” he added.

Recalling the road safety movement, the ruling party leader said, “They (BNP) earlier tried to gain political benefits using the road (safety) and quota movements. But the efforts turned futile, and they resorted to many other conspiracies later.”

Responding to a question, Obaidul Quader said allowing quota movements does not indicate a weakness of the authorities.

“We are maintaining patience, and patience does not mean weakness. What would you say if we came down harshly on the movement? You will see everything in time, it will be dealt with befitting actions,” he added.

Thousands of students and job seekers have been protesting on streets across the country since 1 July, demanding a rational reform to the quota system in government jobs.

As part of the movement, they called a rally on the Dhaka University campus on 15 July, but it led to clashes with the ruling party's student front. Scores of students from both sides sustained injuries on the day.

The government had abolished the quota system through a circular in 2018, following massive student protests. Recently, the High Court invalidated the circular, essentially reinstating the previous quota system.

In a further development, the Appellate Division imposed a status quo on the High Court order for a month. However, the students urged the government to pass a law in parliament, keeping a minimal quota for the disadvantaged communities.