Quota reform: Students boycott classes, exams

Students at universities and colleges across the country have been boycotting classes and examinations as the government missed the deadline for issuing a gazette notification abolishing the quota system.

In Dhaka University, around 3000 protestors started a procession from DU central library around 11:00am, suspending all classes.

They are marching towards each faculty and urging students, who were inside the classes, to join them.

Muhammad Rashed Khan, joint convener of the platform said they would not return to classes until the gazette is published.

In Chittagong University, quota reformists have been staging a sit-in on the rail tracks, blocking CU shuttle train service since 8:00am, said Sholoshohor Police Outpost Sub-Inspector Jakir Hossain.

No train left the port city for the campus since morning.

“As the government failed to publish the gazette by the given timeframe, we will observe strike sine die and boycott all academic activities at the colleges and universities countrywide,” Nurul Haque Nur, joint convener of Bangladesh SadharanChhatraAdhikarSangrakkhanParishad, said yesterday.

Earlier, the protesters set the deadline to 5:00pm yesterday to publish the gazette and threatened to go on an indefinite strike.

Yesterday, the students observed a two-hour strike from 11:00am to 1:00pm at different universities and colleges.

Awami League General Secretary ObaidulQuader however at a programme on the same day said threats of further protests were unrealistic.

Earlier on Wednesday, the protesters threatened to begin demonstrations from Sunday if the government failed to publish the gazette by Thursday.

They announced launching of fresh demonstrations after Cabinet Secretary Mohammad ShafiulAlam on May 7 said there was no progress regarding the gazette publication.

In April, students of public and private universities across the country took to the streets with the demand. Police charged truncheons and fired tear gas shells on the demonstrators on DU campus, injuring at least 163.

The protesters blocked key points in the capital and roads and highways elsewhere.

Source: thedailystar