Quota reform: Won’t accept order to vacate DU halls, says coordinator Sarjis 

The quota reform protesters have rejected the Dhaka University authorities’ decision to shut the campus for an unspecified period and vacate the residential halls immediately. 

Sarjis Alam, a key coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said they would not accept the decision to vacate the halls as the country is not facing any disaster like situation that may lead to such a decision. 

He made the statement while heading towards the Curzon Hall area on the campus along with fellow protesters on Wednesday afternoon. 

Following a syndicate meeting, the Dhaka University authorities announced an indefinite closure and ordered the students to leave the residential halls within 6:00pm on Wednesday. 

On the previous evening, the University Grants Commission (UGC) instructed the vice-chancellors of the universities across the country to go into an indefinite closure and vacate the residential halls. 

The education ministry also instructed all educational institutions at secondary and higher secondary levels to remain shut indefinitely on Tuesday. 

The developments came following days of deadly clashes between the quota reform protesters and the police and pro-government organisations, including Chhatra League and Jubo league. 

Students and job seekers have been demonstrating at educational institutions across the country throughout the last several days, demanding a rational reform in the quota system in government jobs.

The government has been hellbent on settling the issue at the court, while the protesters continued to press for legislating a law in parliament, with a rational quota for the backward communities.

After days of peaceful protests, the ruling party moved its student and youth wings, alongside the law enforcement agencies, to foil the movement, and it led to deadly clashes between the two sides.

On Tuesday, at least six protesters died during clashes between the protesters and the police, Bangladesh Chhatra League, and Bangladesh Awami Jubo League in Chattogram, Rangpur, Dhaka.