Quota reform: Students take position at Gulistan, police put up barricade

Protesting students seeking reasonable quota reform in government jobs have taken positions in front of Gulistan Shopping Complex in the capital.

As part of their previously declared programme, the students are trying to move towards Bangabhaban.

However, the police put up a barricade in front of them and a huge number of police are deployed there.

A 10 member delegation of the protesting students was supposed to go to Bangabhaban to submit a memorandum to the president.

This mass march started under the banner of ‘anti-discrimination student movement’ from the Dhaka University central library premises around 12:00 pm today, Sunday. Students began gathering in front of the library with processions even before 11:00 am.

Aiming for the mass march, a huge number of students started a procession at 12:02 pm. The procession paraded different roads on the Dhaka University campus, Shahbagh and Matsya Bhaban before coming face to face with a police barricade at Shikkha Odhikar Chottor. Later they moved ahead, breaking the barricade.

The students had an altercation with police as they moved to talk to the students in front of the secretariat (in front of the home ministry) at around 1:10pm. The students chanted various slogans targeting the police. At the time, the protest leaders through hand mike announced not to make any chaos.

At one stage, students were asked to sit on the road. A portion of the protestors took position at zero point at around 1:18pm. At the time calling upon the students by hand mike to sit on the road again, it was said, "We take seats with space. We will organise a sit-in for sometime."

Some students sit down.

At that time, coordinators of the protesting platform anti-discrimination student movement including Nahid Islam and Hasnat Abdullah were talking to the police. Within a few minutes, the sitting students stand up. They blocked zero point at around 1:25pm.

At zero point, movement's coordinator Nahid Islam said, "We would organise a blockade here. We would blockade zero point until our representatives return from Bangabhaban submitting a memorandum. Students' representatives will deliver speeches during the blockade."

At around 1:30pm, the delegation set out for Bangabhaban. Speaking to Prothom Alo, Nahid Islam said 10 members including Nahid are going to Bangabhaban to submit a memorandum. They would announce the next course of action after returning to zero point.

Students chanted various slogans and delivered speeches taking position at zero point at around 1:40pm. Movement of vehicles come to a halt due to their blockade, resulting in traffic congestion.

At around 1:45pm, there was a scuffle between protestors and police in front of GPO. At one stage, when the police barricade was removed, the protesting students moved ahead further. At around 1:50pm, they took position in front of Baitul Mukarram Mosque.

Observing this programme in Dhaka, students of different educational institutions in their respective states have begun a mass march to submit memorandums to the president through the deputy commissioners.