Quota protesters give 24-hour ultimatum to withdraw case

Students protesting for the reforms to the quota system for government jobs have given the authorities concerned a 24-hour ultimatum to withdraw the case filed against them.

They made the demand in a press briefing in front of Dhaka University Central Library on Saturday evening.

Earlier on Friday night, a case was filed over the alleged attack on police at Shahbagh in Dhaka during a blockade by the quota protesters.   

Khalilur Rahman, driver of the Transport Division of the Rajarbagh Police Lines, filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station. Many unidentified students were made accused in the lawsuit.

According to the case statement, there was a pre-announced programme of anti-quota student movement on July 11. The unidentified students gathered in front of the Dhaka University Central Library Building and marched towards Shahbagh intersection chanting slogans at 4pm. At one stage, they crossed the intersection and obstructed the police from discharging their duty. They broke the police barricade and pushed the policemen. They also beat up the police members on-duty.

Later, they started moving towards Hotel Intercontinental and climbed on the water cannon and APC 25 parked beside the Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. They tried to force the water canon driver out of the car. At that time, two SS Stands in front of APC 25, radio antenna on the left side above the bonnet and the looking glass on the left side of the water cannon were broken, causing an estimated loss of five lakh taka. A general diary was filed with Shahbagh Police Station in this connection, the case statement added.