'Quota reform movement to continue'

Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, a platform which leads the quota reform movement, on Monday announced to continue its protest until its demands are met.

Hasan Al Mamun, convener of the platform, came up with the announcement at a press conference held in front of the Dhaka University (DU) Central Library around 5pm.

The press conference was arranged soon after the body, formed by the government to review the existing quota system in public service, recommended abolishing the quota system from 9th to 13th grades (1st class and 2nd class) of government jobs.

“We submitted our report to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Monday). Our proposal is that there shouldn’t be quota in the public recruitment for 9th to13th grades, meaning previous 1st class and 2nd class jobs," Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said while briefing reporters at the Secretariat over the Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Talking about the freedom fighters’ quota, he said, “We’ve taken opinions of legal experts when they said it’s a policy decision of the government and there’s a court verdict which shouldn’t be disobeyed.”

Mamun said, “Our message is clear. We always wanted reforms of the quota system, not abolishment. But if the government wants to abolish the quota system, it can do it." 

He urged the government to withdraw all ‘false’ cases filed against students, punish those assaulted students during the movement and publish the gazette notification on the quota reforms as soon as possible.

Announcing to hold a protest rally in the city on Tuesday, the platform convener said, "We won’t go back to classes unless our demands are met."

Omar Faruq, a joint convener of the platform, said they welcome the recommendations to abolish the quota system. “But we can’t be assured until the gazette is published.”

Some other leaders and supporters of the quota reform platform were present at the press conference.

Source: unb