Anti-quota movement spreads countrywide

DU Correspondent :
For the third consecutive day, students from various universities across Bangladesh continued their anti-quota protests, demonstrating against the government’s decision to reinstate a 2018 circular that they claim undermines merit-based appointments for government jobs.

The protests saw thousands of students block major highways, key intersections, and railway lines in an effort to pressure the government into abolishing the controversial quota system.

Protests Across Major Highways and Railways

In a coordinated show of defiance, students from Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh blocked the railway line, while demonstrators from Jahangirnagar University halted traffic on the Dhaka-Aricha highway. Students from Rajshahi University blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway; Comilla University students obstructed the Dhaka-Chattogram highway; and Barisal University students disrupted traffic on the Barisal-Kuakata highway. The nationwide blockades were part of a larger effort to bring attention to their demands.

Dhaka Protests Intensify

In Dhaka, thousands of students from Dhaka University (DU) gathered at the Shahbagh intersection for their third day of protest.

The demonstration began at 11:45 a.m. and continued until 6:20 p.m. Students from various DU halls assembled at the central library before marching through campus to join the protest at Shahbagh. The rally saw the participation of students from Dhaka College as well.

The demonstration was not without incident. Some members of the Bangladesh Chattra League (BCL) attempted to prevent students from joining the protest by locking the gates of Master Da Surza Sen Hall. The main protest procession later reached the hall, broke the lock, and allowed students to join the rally.

Throughout the day, students chanted slogans, sang protest songs, and confronted police guards. Despite some tense moments, the protest concluded without any reported casualties.

Jahangirnagar University
In a display of solidarity, students from Jahangirnagar University gathered at the main gate of the university and blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway, a crucial route connecting north Bengal and Mymensingh. Their demonstration lasted nearly an hour, during which they voiced their demands and grievances.

Jagannath University:
At Jagannath University, students organised a procession and blocked the roads in front of the university. This action resulted in significant traffic congestion on the Gulistan-Sadarghat and Gulistan-Dholikhal roads, disrupting the flow of traffic in the area.

Comilla University
In Comilla, students from Comilla University took to the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, a major commercial artery connecting the capital with Chattogram. Starting at 12:30 PM, the students staged a sit-in in the Beltali area of Cumilla Sadar, South Upazila. Their protest lasted for three hours, causing severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway. Following the sit-in, the students announced that they would escalate their protest to sticker agitation if their demands were not met.

Rajshahi University
Students at Rajshahi University demonstrated against the reinstatement of the quota system by blocking the Dhaka-Rajshahi Highway. The protest began around 10:30 a.m. with a blockade on Paris Road inside the campus before moving to the highway. The students managed to block the highway for approximately one and a half hours, halting all types of vehicles. They declared that the protest would continue until their demands were addressed.

Mymensingh
At Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in Mymensingh, students halted the Jamalpur Express at Jobbarer Mor on the campus, which led to the suspension of Dhaka-Mymensingh rail services for two hours, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Additionally, the students held a rally on the campus to further their cause.

Barisal University
In Barishal, students from Barisal University staged a demonstration by blocking the Barishal-Kuakata Highway. Their protest was part of a broader student movement across the country.