AL wants to sit with quota movement coordinators

Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina asked her party leaders to sit with the quota reform movement coordinators to normalise the country’s situation. 

She gave the responsibility to the party’s presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Joint General Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim.  

The ruling party held an emergency meeting at Ganabhaban on Friday night over the country’s current situation. Apart from the AL president, the party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader, presidium members Dr Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin, Kamrul Islam, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Law Minister Anisul Huq, Joint General Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Dr Dipu Moni, Organizing Secretary Mirza Azam, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, State Minister for Education Shamsur Nahar Chapa, State Minister for Information Affairs Mohammad Ali Arafat and Office Secretary Biplob Barua took part in the meeting. 

In the meeting, the AL president asked the leaders to be careful and tolerant towards the agitating students.

She formed a team of three leaders to hold a views exchange meeting with the agitators and also asked to include the leaders of 14-party alliance in the team. 

Several leaders, who attended the meeting, said the students’ demand was discussed in the meeting. We agree with their demands. The quota has already been reformed according to their demands. A judicial committee has been formed for a proper investigation into the incidents of the casualties.

They also said the team comprising the leaders of the AL and 14-party alliance will discuss with the quota reform movement coordinators. They will listen to their demands and inform it to the party’s President.   

A source from Ganabhaban confirmed that Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan went to Gana Bhaban to meet Prime Minister on Friday night to apprise her about the country’s overall situation and to take instruction from her. 

However, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement held a mass procession across the country on Friday. People from all walks of life took part in the procession expressing their solidarity with the ongoing movement. The quota protesters locked in clashes with police in Dhaka’s Uttara, Khulna, Habiganj and Sylhet. They will stage demonstration across the country on Saturday and will go for a countrywide non-cooperation movement starting Sunday.