Quota protest: Students boycott class-exams, prepare for nationwide ‘Bangla Blockade’ today

Public university students across the country have ramped up their protest against the reinstatement of quotas in government jobs, with nationwide road blockades, along with class and exam boycotts starting today.

The nationwide blockade programme called “Bangla Blockade”, which was announced from the various public university students’ gathering in the capital’s Shahbagh yesterday afternoon, is set to kick off today (7 July).

Under the Bangla Blockade programme, students nationwide will block major highways and roads in front of educational institutions at 3pm.

During the Shahbagh sit-in yesterday, Nahid Hasan, a leader of the movement and a student of Dhaka University’s Sociology Department, said, “The blockade programme will start at 3pm tomorrow [7 July]. We will not just sit in Shahbagh. The students will gather at every point, including Shahbagh, Neelkhet, Motijheel, and Science Lab, and make the programme a success. Students will block all highways outside the capital as well.”

A nine-day Ratha Yatra, the chariot festival of Sri Jagannath Dev which is one of the major festivals of the Hindu community, is also set to begin today. The festival will come to an end with the Ulto Ratha Yatra (reverse journey) on 15 July. 

Marking the festival, a colorful procession will be brought out at 3pm from Swamibagh temple in the city carrying images and idols of Sri Jagannath Dev, his brother Sri Balaram and sister Srimati Subhadra on three largely build Rathas (chariots).

This has led to some adjustments in the scheduled blockades.

Reportedly, protesting students of Jahangirnagar University have decided to hold the blockade programme on the Dhaka-Aricha highway for two hours from 11am-1pm.

Meanwhile, all scheduled classes and examinations at public universities across the country have come to a halt since this morning, following the students’ earlier announcement calling for a class and exam boycott starting today.

Muhib Hasan, a student of the DU political science department, said, “Today, students of all batches in our department have boycotted classes and exams. We will not end the movement unless our logical demands are met.”

Nahid Hasan warned that students will continue to boycott classes and exams, even if teachers, currently boycotting all academic activities over the ongoing Prottoy pension scheme protest, decide to return to classrooms.

He stated, “Even if our teachers return to the classroom, we won’t until our demands are met.”

Since 2 June, university students have been holding sit-ins, organising marches and blocking roads and highways, demanding the cancellation of the High Court order restoring a 30% quota for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren in government jobs and demanding the reinstatement of the 2018 quota cancellation circular.

The quota problem: Over the years, the quota for freedom fighters was identified as a problem area because the required number of candidates could not be found in the category, data from 1982-1990 shows.

• In 1982, 7% of the quota was met against 30% allocation.
• The dip continued over the years.
• Against this background, the PSC recommended increasing merit and women’s quotas.
• The government in 1997 extended freedom fighters’ quota to include their descendants, making things even more complicated.

What students want: Students of Dhaka University held their latest protest against the reinstatement of quotas in recruitment for first- and second-class government jobs. 

• They demand cancellation of the quota system.
• They want reinstatement of the 2018 law, which abolished freedom fighter quota in government jobs.
• They want a committee to repair the quota system.
• They want seats to be filled based on talent, not quota in instances the latter requirement doesn’t produce enough candidates.

What experts say

“The quota is a special provision for underprivileged populations, and it’s an exception. It can’t be more than the merit provision.” – Former PSC chairman Sadat Hossain said during the 2018 quota reform movement. 

“During this period of ten years [1987-1997], committees constituted by the government and other studies sponsored by the government also recommended reduction of quota for freedom fighters. This request continued since 1987, but for ten years, the government remains silent on the issue.” – AMM Shawkat Ali, a former bureaucrat and adviser to a caretaker government, in his book “Bangladesh Civil Service: A political-administrative perspective”.