Anti-quota protesters have announced countrywide rallies on campuses tomorrow in response to today's police action on students in several locations outside Dhaka.
Nahid Islam, a spokesman for the quota movement, declared the plan following a four-hour blockade at the Shahbagh intersection, which ended around 9 pm on Thursday.
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Earlier in the day, students from Dhaka University, its seven affiliated colleges, and Jagannath University gathered in front of the Dhaka University central library around 3:30 pm, overcoming “obstacles from the police and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).”
By 4:30 pm, thousands of students had joined a massive procession, marching towards the Shahbagh intersection after parading through the Dhaka University campus. Upon reaching Shahbagh, the police attempted to block the protesters, but the students broke through the barricades multiple times.
Reporter, cameraman attacked by quota protesters in Shahbagh, says Somoy TV
At the conclusion of the program, Sarjis Alam, another spokesman for the movement, said, “Today’s court decision has shown that our demands are being directed to the proper authority. We are reiterating our demand for a constitutional law to ensure the participation of underprivileged people with a quota system, but it should be capped at 5% of the total seats.”
“Our demand is clear: an emergency general assembly should be called to create a law that reflects our needs. We do not want a repeat of the mistakes made in the 2018 quota order. The High Court has indicated that the government can legislate to change quota percentages, and we demand a clear solution that reforms the quota for all categories.”
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Another spokesman, Hasnat Abdullah, condemned the police attacks on students at other campuses. “Today, our fellow students were brutally attacked by police in Chattogram, Barishal, and Cumilla. Despite these barriers, students observed the Bangla Blockade with determination. Police action injured at least ten students. We demand justice for them and legal action against the responsible officers,” he said.