Quota Reform: Students issue 24-hour ultimatum to government

The students advocating for quota reform have given the government a 24-hour ultimatum to meet their demands. They also insisted on the withdrawal of a case filed against them within this timeframe.

After submitting a memorandum to the president of the republic at Bangabhaban, leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement came up with the fresh ultimatum while briefing journalists at the Bangabandhu Avenue intersection. 

They urged the government to abolish the quota system and take necessary steps to address their concerns.

The student leaders told journalists that they had successfully marched and presented their demands, but they were yet to receive any assurance from the government. The government has the authority to reform the quota system, but they are avoiding the issue, they said.

A delegation entered Bangabhaban around 2:35pm and left approximately 20 minutes later. 

Major General Mohammad Adil Choudhury, the military secretary to President Mohammed Shahbuddin, received the memorandum.

The memorandum calls for an urgent parliamentary session to address "quota discrimination" through new legislation or executive orders. 

Before the delegation's visit to Bangabhaban, police had set up barricades at the Gulistan intersection, preventing thousands of students from marching to the President's office and residence. 

Earlier, around 1:50pm, the students broke through the police barricade at Zero Point on their march to Bangabhaban. Law enforcers had initially stopped the marching students by erecting barricades at Zero Point around 1:30 pm.

Earlier in the morning several thousand students gathered in front of the Dhaka University Central Library around 11:00am and began their march around noon. Students carried placards and national flags as they marched.

Jagannath University students and students from seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University joined the procession.

At a press conference at Dhaka University on Saturday, Hasnat Abdullah explained that they would submit the memorandum to the president, requesting an emergency parliamentary session to resolve the issue. He also mentioned that students in districts would hand over memorandums to their respective deputy commissioners to be forwarded to the president.

The students’ protests, which includes a boycott of classes and examinations, will continue, he said. 

Public university and college students, along with jobseekers, have been protesting against the quota system in government jobs for the past two weeks, occupying key city intersections, major highways, and rail lines.

The protests began after the High Court ruled on June 5 that the 2018 government circular abolishing the quota system was illegal, effectively reinstating the quota system. 

The government has appealed the decision, and the Supreme Court has issued a status quo on the High Court order.