Staff Reporter :
As July 5, 2024, fell on a Friday—a weekend holiday—the coordinators of the “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement” launched a nationwide outreach campaign, both online and offline, to further mobilize support for their four-point demand against the reinstated quota system in government jobs.
This campaign was part of the three-day programme announced on July 4, following the decision to temporarily lift their blockade at Shahbagh intersection in the capital. “Tomorrow (Friday), we will conduct a nationwide outreach programme—both online and offline—to strengthen support for our four-point demands,” said Nahid Islam, a key coordinator of the movement and now head of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), during a press briefing on July 4.
“Our movement will continue until all demands are met,” he added.
Another key coordinator, Hasnat Abdullah, reiterated the commitment to sustain the momentum: “The programme will continue on Friday. We will launch an extensive campaign to raise awareness and build public opinion in support of our demands.”
Following the call, students from across the country responded by organizing rallies and gatherings, drawing significant participation. Students from nearly every batch and department in various universities issued joint declarations of solidarity with the movement’s call to boycott classes and examinations.
The campaign also gained substantial traction on social media, with the coordinators posting regular updates—including department-wise lists of those pledging to boycott academic activities—on platforms such as Facebook.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Dhaka University’s ‘White Panel’—a group of BNP-Jamaat-aligned teachers—expressed grave concern over the High Court verdict that declared a portion of the 2018 circular abolishing quotas in public service illegal. In a public statement, they extended their support to the student-led movement.
“We express deep concern over the High Court order declaring illegal part of the 2018 government circular that abolished the quota system in public service. We also express our solidarity with the ongoing movement by students and job seekers opposing the reinstatement of the quota system,” the statement read.
The July 5 outreach effort significantly amplified the movement’s visibility and public backing, setting the stage for further escalations in the days that followed.
