Defying the authorities’ cautionary statements and measures against violent movement, students and job seekers protesting against quotas in public services continued their programme on Thursday, which led to clashes between law enforcers and the agitators in a number of areas.

The students waging movements against the quota system also announced to hold protests and rallies across the country today.

The full text of the High Court’s 5 June order, released on Thursday, said the government has the liberty to modify, reduce or increase the 56% quotas in all levels of public service recruitment, whenever it feels necessary.

However, on the same day State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said the government is ready to do whatever is necessary for the welfare of the students, even after the High Court’s verdict on the quota system.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has warned that the police will not sit back if the agitating students create an immoral situation. Dhaka Metropolitan Police also said that they will be forced to take action according to existing laws if the agitators come to the streets and cause public suffering. On the other hand, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged the agitators to be calm.

While announcing their next course of actions, Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, said at a Shahbagh rally on Thursday that an emergency parliament session should be called to pass a law to ensure that all the quota in government jobs are cancelled, except a minimum quota for the backward groups.

“Until that is done, we will be on the streets. At 4pm on Friday we will hold protest marches and rallies across the country and in all educational institutions.

In continuation of their movement against the quota system since the beginning of this month, protesters blocked highways, streets and railroads in many places on Thursday.

Protesters at Shahbagh break police barricade

Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Dr Kh Mahid Uddin said if anyone tries to block the road in the name of movement defying the court order and creates public nuisance, the police will take strict action as per existing law.

“Our agitating students are all educated, so I would request them not to give any more programmes that cause public distress. Action will be taken according to existing laws if anyone creates chaos on the streets,” Mahid Uddin said while addressing a press conference at the Headquarters on Thursday.

Ignoring the police warning, and light rains, students from different areas started gathering in front of Dhaka University’s Central Library at 3:30pm. Later their protest rally went to different roads and reached Shahbagh.

The police set up barricades in front of the Shahbagh metro station in advance to ensure that the students cannot block the Shahbagh intersection. The protesting students broke the police barricade and took a stand at Shahbagh intersection at 5pm.

A section of students also took a stand in front of the gate of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). However, their procession could not cross Shahbagh.

At that time, the agitating students started chanting slogans around the police’s riot car kept in Shahbagh. However, the police took no step to drive away the students. Rather, the riot car was later removed from the place in face of the students’ protest.

Around 4:30pm, the students of Dhaka College tried to take a stand at the Science Lab intersection in the capital. However, they moved away from there in face of police obstruction and came to Shahbagh.

A rally of Jagannath University students also joined the Shahbagh protesters. As a result, students were not staying anywhere other than Shahbagh on Thursday.

Due to the students’ protest rallies, traffic movement in Shahbagh and its surrounding areas, including Elephant Road, Banglamotor, Matsya Bhavan and TSC, halted completely.

A large number of police were stationed at the intersections of important roads of the capital since noon and their number was increased in Shahbagh area on Thursday night.

Sarjis Alam, a leader of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, told the Daily Sun that they will not stop agitating until the government reforms the quota system logically.

Meanwhile, Chhatra League leaders and activists gathered in front of the Madhur Canteen in Dhaka University , to demand the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs. The leaders and activists of Dhaka University Chhatra League, as well as units of that organisation from other educational institutions in Dhaka city also took a stand there.

Later, Chhatra League leaders and activists took out a protest march from Madhur Canteen and gathered in front of the Raju Bhaskarja.

The police baton-charged the protesters from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University in the capital.  At least 10 people were injured in the incident, said sources.

At 4:30pm on Thursday, the police clashed with the protesting students in front of the second gate of the university.

Later, the students blocked the Farmgate-Mirpur road, ignoring the obstacles.

Police, students clash in Cumilla

When students of Comilla University tried to block the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Cumilla, the police chased initially chased them away, while the students later chased away the law enforcers.

The police fired tear gas and blank shots at that time. At least 15 people including cops and students were injured in the clash. Some of the injured were taken to Comilla Medical College Hospital.

The incident caused a severe traffic jam in both lanes of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

Cumilla Sadar South Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Alamgir Bhuiyan said, “We asked the students not to block the highway. We tried to calm the students down when they created chaos. At that time, the students attacked the cops. Some of our policemen were injured.”

The students said the police stopped them when they wanted to go towards Kotbari in Cumilla. At one point, they got involved in a chase and counter-chase with the police. The cops then fired blank shots and tear gas shells at the students. At least 10 students were injured in the incident.

Quota protesters defy police in Ctg

Students of different educational institutions including Chittagong University (CU) faced police barricades while they were staging demonstrations against the quota system on Thursday.

Sources said a group of students gathered at Chattogram Railway Station and proceeded toward Tigerpass intersection to observe the prescheduled “Bangla Blockade” around 3:30pm.

The police barred them from blocking the Tigerpass intersection when they reached the area.

The cops also allegedly charged batons to disperse the protesters at that time. At one stage, the protestors went towards Lalkhan Bazar and got scattered.

Later, the agitators gathered again in the Gate No-2 area, but the police charged batons and tried to drive them away from there.

Despite the police actions, the protesting students blocked the busy road, and halted traffic movement.

It resulted in immense sufferings for the commuters as vehicles got stranded on different roads to and from the Gate No-2.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mostafizur Rahman said they tried to keep the protesters beside the road for easing traffic movement in the Tigerpass area.

But, they attempted to put a barricade there. However, they later went to Gate No-2 and put a barricade there, he said.

JU protesters block Dhaka-Aricha highway

The students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) protested against the quota system by blocking the Dhaka-Aricha highway defying the police obstruction.

Students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway near the main gate of the university from 4:00pm on Thursday, causing a long traffic jam on both sides of that road.

Around 2:00pm students and job aspirants started gathering in front of the central library of the university. Later, they took out a protest march under the banner of “Anti-discrimination Student Movement'.

When the procession went in front of the main gate of the university, it was blocked by the Proctoral team. Later, when the protesters crossed the main gate, the police stopped them. After an altercation with the police, the students passed through the law enforcers and blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, said sources.

Quota protesters crossing the line: Home minister

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan today said that students continuing their quota protests are crossing the line. He made the remark during a press conference at the Secretariat, held in observance of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday.

Responding to journalists’ questions, the minister said, “We have instructed our security forces, especially the police, to listen to their demands. However, there is a limit to listening, and it appears that they are crossing it.”

When asked if the government would take action if students do not comply, the Home Minister said, “First of all, they are educated and intelligent. Why would they go against the state? They should observe the situation and return.”

Govt can reduce, increase share of quotas: HC

The government has the liberty to modify, reduce or increase the 56% quotas in all levels of government job recruitment, whenever it feels necessary, as per the operative portion of the High Court’s 5 June order that reinstated the quotas.

Furthermore, if the number of eligible job candidates is insufficient to fill the reserved seats, candidates from the merit list can be recruited to fill vacancies, the concerned High Court bench said when releasing the full text of the verdict on Thursday.

On 5 June, the High Court bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat declared illegal the government's 4 October 2010 notification that abolished all quotas in first- and second-class government officer recruitment.

As per the full text of the order, relevant authorities have to reinstate 30% quotas for children and grandchildren of Freedom Fighters and maintain the remaining 26% quotas for district-specific individuals, women, physically challenged individuals as well as job seekers from tribal, minority, ethnic and other communities.

‘Govt ready to do everything for students’ welfare’

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said the government is ready to do whatever is necessary for the welfare of the students, even after the verdict of the High Court on the quota system.

People who do not want the betterment of the country are instigating the quota-reform protest, he said this while talking to reporters at the secretariat on Thursday.

Asked whether the government will set up a commission to reform the quota as per the demands of the students, Farhad said, “Let the court resolve the issue. There will always be room for discussion.”

‘Attempt to politicise the quota protests will be responded politically’

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has called on students protesting the quota system to immediately halt all disruptive activities and return to their institutions in compliance with court directives. He emphasized that any group with vested interest attempting to exploit the students’ emotions to create chaos in the country would be met with legal action.

At a press conference held on Thursday at the Awami League President’s office in Dhanmondi, Quader outlined the government’s stance on the quota issue.