DU Correspondent :
Student protests against quota systems in government jobs intensified across Bangladesh on the second day.
Thousands of students nationwide took to the streets, highways, and even railways, demanding a return to the 2018 quota system reforms and the complete abolition of quotas in all government jobs.
The demonstrations resulted in significant traffic congestion as students blocked major arteries across the country. In Dhaka, students from Dhaka University (DU), along with Dhaka College and others, showcased their solidarity by blocking the Shahbagh intersection for an hour and a half.
Over 5,000 students participated in the sit-in protest.
The movement, under the banner of the “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement,” began with students gathering in front of the DU central library. They then marched in a procession through different halls, culminating in a blockade at the Shahbagh intersection after passing by High Court Chattar and Matsya Bhaban. The protest concluded with the students returning to the central library.
Organisers, including Nahid Islam, announced further protests scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. the following day.
Similar demonstrations erupted in other major cities. Students from Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh blocked the railway line for nearly an hour.
At Jahangirnagar University, students staged a two-hour blockade on the Dhaka-Aricha highway, a key route connecting Dhaka to northern Bengal and Mymensingh.
Chittagong University students also joined the movement, blocking the Chittagong-Rangamati highway near the university’s gate number 1 for an hour. Barisal University students continued their protest for the second day, blocking both sides of the Barisal-Kuakata highway for over two hours. Jagannath University students also participated, holding a procession and blocking the Tantibazar road. The nationwide protests highlight the growing student discontent with the current quota system and their demand for a merit-based recruitment process for government jobs.