End protests or face music AL warns students
Staff Reporter :
Obaidul Quader, General Secretary of the Awami League (AL) and Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, strongly urged protesting students on Thursday to promptly return to their educational institutions.
He issued a stern warning, indicating that the government might be compelled to take decisive action against individuals causing disruptions to public order.
Speaking at a press briefing held at the AL President’s Office in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area, Quader underscored the imperative of legal measures against those who exploit the sentiments of innocent students to foment widespread disorder.
“The government is determined to take robust legal action against anyone who seeks to manipulate the emotions of innocent students to create nationwide chaos,” Quader asserted firmly.
Accusing the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of endeavouring to politicise the ongoing anti-quota protests, Quader accused them of attempting to transform these demonstrations into broader anti-government movements. He categorically stated that the Awami League would vehemently oppose any such political manoeuvres.
“We will actively oppose any effort to politicise the anti-quota movement,”
Quader declared emphatically.
Highlighting the importance of the quota system, Quader noted that its absence over the past five years has adversely affected women and ethnic minorities, underscoring its role in promoting diversity and equality within the state system.
“Quota does not create discrimination; rather, it is needed in some sectors to resolve discrimination,” Quader argued.
He referenced a recent court decision that imposed a four-week status quo on the quota system, lamenting the disruptions caused by the so-called ‘Bangla Blockade, despite the court’s ruling.
“It is very regretful that efforts were going on to disrupt the normal lives of people in the name of the ‘Bangla Blockade’.
Even they are not showing respect to the country’s highest court,” he added.
Quader also accused various political parties, including the BNP, of instigating students and voiced his disapproval of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s stance on the Freedom Fighter Quota.
“BNP has no respect for the Liberation War, and there is no reason to think that BNP believes in the spirit of the Liberation War,” Quader remarked.
The press briefing was attended by several prominent AL leaders, including Joint General Secretaries Mahabub-ul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organising Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, SM Kamal Hossain, Afzal Hossain, and Sujit Roy Nandi, Relief and Social Welfare Affairs Secretary Aminul Islam Amin, Office Secretary Barrister Biplob Barua, Liberation War Affairs Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das, and Deputy Office Secretary Sayeem Khan.
