DU Correspondant :
Nearly two thousand students from Dhaka University (DU) staged a demonstration on Sunday against the High Court’s recent verdict reinstating job quotas in the first and second classes of government jobs, including the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS).
The quotas had been abolished in 2018 following mass student protests.
The massive procession began in front of the central library and concluded at the Raju sculpture, where the agitating students demanded the cancellation of the quota system.
The students warned that they would block roads if their demands were not met. Mahin Sarkar, the rally’s anchor, issued an ultimatum, demanding that the High Court retract its verdict by June 30.
He warned that the movement would spread from campuses to the streets if their demands were not addressed.
At the end of the rally, a representative team of students went to the High Court to submit a memorandum to the Attorney General, urging a reversal of the decision and a return to the 2018 policy.
Last Wednesday, the High Court declared the government’s 2018 decision to cancel the 30 percent quota for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren in civil service jobs illegal. This quota system applies specifically to grades nine to 13.
Under the quota system, 56 percent of total recruitment is reserved for various quotas, leaving only 44 percent for general category students. The quota is even higher in certain sectors, with 82 percent in railway recruitment and 96 percent in primary school recruitment.
Students argue that assigning a 56 percent quota, including 30 percent for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters, to a small portion of the population is not only illegal but also exploitative. They compared the situation to the injustices faced during the Pakistan regime.
Fahim, a student from the English department, expressed his frustration, stating, “The decision to reintroduce the quota system in job sectors has humiliated the students of the country and violated the constitution. It destroyed the hopes and dreams of students who aspire to contribute to the country’s prosperity with their talent.”
He added, “It is time to turn the highway into our bed until our demand is met.
Tamanna Akter, a student of French Language at the Institute of Modern Languages, said, “The students want a fair process where every competitor is given an equal chance and opportunity, as guaranteed by our constitution.”
She further stated that, despite being a female, she does not support a female quota because the quota system is a flaw that allows less talented individuals to advance.
Rifat Rashid, another student of the university, emphasized the constitutional basis for their demands, stating, “The 29th article of our constitution ensures us equal facilities for obtaining government jobs. But the High Court’s decision violated this constitutional policy. The student society of this country does not and will never obey such a discriminatory decision by the High Court.”