Urging the demonstrators, who are seeking a reform in the quota system in government jobs, not to be abused as political tools of anyone, governing Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader Friday said their party is always sincere about the logical demand of the country’s people.
“No logical demand was ever ignored by the Awami League. Bangladesh Awami League is always working to build a welfare and prosperous state by bearing the hopes and aspirations of the people,” he said in a statement.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said: “We call upon the young students not to be abused as political tools. At the final hearing in court, lawyers in favour of the agitating students have the opportunity to present their arguments further.”
Mentioning that the apex court of the country will resolve the matter after final hearing, he hoped that the court would take into account the grievances of the agitating students during the final hearing and would pronounce a realistic final judgement and the matter will be settled.
“We urge the agitators to keep patience. At the same time, I request again to avoid all such programmes that may cause suffering to people and return to the educational institutions as per the court’s instructions,” he said.
The AL general secretary also said the Appellate Division gave a four-week status quo on the judgement of the High Court on keeping quota in government jobs.
Quader stated that after this order of the Appellate Division, there is no effectiveness of the judgement of the High Court Division now. So, there is no justification for the students’ movement to continue.
“The evil spirits of the anti-liberation forces have entered this movement,” he remarked.
Quader said the order of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is in favour of the students, while the continuation of their movement after this proves that a vested quarter is provoking the movement to materialise their political agenda.
“If the students continue this movement, the suffering of the commoners will increase. Public suffering is being created. If the people become hostage to this movement, they will lose confidence in the students,” he said.
Quader, also the road transport minister, said an identified political quarter is trying to gain advantage by creating conflicts between the students and the people.
“We don’t believe that all soft-minded students want to violate the directives of the apex court of the country. Only the politically motivated ones are trying to show muscle by ignoring the court’s directives,” he said.
Quader said once a movement is waged, the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat (Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami) and their allies want to use it as a tool aiming to assume power and now they are carrying out their ill-attempts capitalising the quota movement.