Arafat finds motive in changing demands of quota protesters

State minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat today questioned logical ground of frequent change in the demands of the quota protesters.

“The government’s position and demand of the quota protesters are very much identical,” Arafat said adding there is no reason of seeking its solution from the court, legislative and executive at different times.

He said the three organs- executive, judiciary and legislative- of the state have the different responsibilities.

“I think, the protesters are changing their demand as their wish without understanding that how these three organs work,” Arafat said at a press briefing at Dhaka district Awami League (AL) office in the city’s Tejgaon area this afternoon.

The state minister said the protesters demanded for restoration of the government circular issued in 2018 over the quota system as High Court scrapped the circular in a judgment.

Later, the government appealed against the High Court judgment and the demonstrators also joined the state party by appointing their lawyer, he said.

Responding to the government appeal, Arafat said, the Appellate Division issued a status quo for four weeks on the subject matter which made the HC verdict inoperative and apparently restored the government circular on quota abolition.

Then the demonstrators placed their demand to the government for formation of a commission to reform the quota system, Arafat said adding that now they (protesters) are seeking legislative measures to press home their demand.

“It’s not the task of the judiciary or legislative, but the executive to find out a decision on the quota issue. So, the government has put in its all efforts to resolve the issue through exhausting the prevailing legal procedure,” the state minister said.

The partial discloser of the full judgment of the HC also found that the court asked the government to reform the quota system, the state minister noted.

The demonstrators, who are continuing demonstrations causing public sufferings after fulfilment of their demand of reinstatement of the government’s 2018 circular , are guided by evil motive, Arafat said adding “I think they don’t want quota reformation, but they have malafide intension.”