Quota reform agitation: Govt closes path of discussion, say anti-discriminatory student movement

The government has intensified the ongoing critical situation by taking resort to violence to quell the peaceful agitation, alleged Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the anti-discriminatory student movement, the platform that has been leading the student movement seeking a reform in the quota system in government jobs since 1 July.

Another coordinator Asif Mahmud said the government has closed the avenues for discussion through killing.

The coordinators of the anti-discriminatory student movement said these in their Facebook statuses after the law minister Anisul Huq on 18 July had spoken about holding discussions with the protesting students.

In his Facebook status, Nahid Islam on Thursday evening wrote the government has not kept any path open for discussion. “The government will have to take all the responsibilities if the law enforcement agency people are not withdrawn from the streets, and the (university) campus and other educational institutions are not opened; and firing continues.”

At the current phase of the movement, only reforming the quota system will not solve the crisis, he mentioned in the social media post.

Explaining the context of the movement, Nahid said, the judiciary has been used but the government did not pay heed to the demands of the students; instead it tried to suppress the movement using the party’s goons and the law enforcement agencies. Now the government is trying to stage another drama in the name of holding a discussion.

Demanding a trial of the perpetrators for the deaths of the students, he, as a spokesperson of the agitating students, declined to accept any farce in the name of judiciary investigation into the deaths.

Nahid further demanded the campuses be made free of “terrorism” of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the governing party; the law enforcement and the armed and unarmed AL goons must be withdrawn from the streets.

There will be no discussion treading the blood of the martyrs, he insisted, adding that the government has to find a path for the discussion.

Nahid Islam, in his Facebook post, also expressed the fear of becoming a victim of enforced disappearances and urged all to continue the agitation alongside the people. “We could be arrested or become victims of enforced disappearances by tonight. IN that case, continue the movement and enter every campus along with the people.”

He also called upon the law enforcement to stay by the students’ side instead of the “murderous” government. The anti-discriminatory student movement coordinator also urged the international community to come forward to save the students. “A mass killing is taking place in Bangladesh.”

Speaking about the dialogue with the government, another coordinator Asif Mahmud has written in his Facebook status, “We can’t show the audacity to place chair and table on the blood and have discussions.”

“It was us who initially talked about discussions time and again. But the government has shut the ways through killing students. Unarm all the forces, bring the superior responsible person to justice for the killings and give back to us our campus,” he added.

Asif Mahmud also mentioned that a discussion is impossible without paying the price of the blood spelt. Urging all the students, youths, and people to continue fighting, he said, “Bangladesh can’t lose time and again.”

Another coordinator, Sarjis Alam wrote in his Facebook status, “Firing and bodies on one side, dialogues on the other! How could there be any dialogue treading the blood.”

Later, Asif Mahmud sent a message to the media that the “complete shutdown” will continue on Friday (19 July) as well. He urged all to organise “gayebana janaza” in all the mosques across the country on Friday.