Quota reform activists under attack again

A quota reform activist is being beaten on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar. Photo: Prothom Alo
A quota reform activist is being beaten on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar. Photo: Prothom Alo

Members of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) allegedly attacked quota reform activists while they had formed a human chain on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Monday.

Witnesses said the BCL activists beat up the quota reformists and dispersed them.

The quota protesters held the human chain programme protesting at another attack on their fellow demonstrators on Sunday.

BCL publicity secretary Saif Babu, school student affairs secretary Joynal Abedin and Dhaka University’s Haji Mohammad Mohsin Hall general secretary Mehedi Hassan Sunny, according to the witnesses, were among the attackers.

A quota reform activist is being beaten on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar. Photo: Prothom Alo
A quota reform activist is being beaten on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar. Photo: Prothom Alo

Witnesses also said nearly 15 people attacked the human chain while 15-20 jobseekers led by Hassan Al Mamun, convenor, and Farukh Hossain, joint convenor of Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council were holding the programme around 10:50am.

Quota reform activists form a human chain on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar. Photo: Prothom Alo
Quota reform activists form a human chain on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar. Photo: Prothom Alo

A few minutes later, the witnesses added, Chhatra League leaders Saif Babu, Joynal Abedin and Mehedi Hassan Sunny launched another attack on the protesters when the quota reform activists were trying to reorganise on the premises of the Shaheed Minar around 11:05am.