Those who lay hands on the police are not exempt: DB chief

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Intelligence Branch (DB) chief Mohammad Haroon Or Rashid has warned that no one will be spared who are laying hands on the police.

He said this to reporters while visiting Jatrabari area on Thursday (July 18) afternoon.

The DB chief said that madrasa students, Chhatra Dal, Juba Dal and Jamaat-Shibir people have joined the quota agitators. They are laying hands on the police, vandalizing. None of them will be exempted.

Haroon or Rashid said, we have all kinds of arrangements. But we are testing patience, not weakness. Those who mistake our patience for weakness are living in a fool's paradise. I request you to go back home.'

At this time, the DB chief asked the agitators to go back home.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that 11 people have been killed so far today (Thursday) in clashes between police and protesters in various parts of the country including Dhaka. Apart from this, six people died yesterday (Wednesday). In total, 17 people died in two days of clashes.

Note that till 2018 there was 56 percent quota in government jobs in Bangladesh. Out of this, 30 percent freedom fighter quota, 10 percent women quota, 10 percent quota for residents of backward districts, 5 percent for people from minority ethnic groups and 1 percent for disabled people were reserved.

That year, there were large protests in various educational institutions of the country, including Dhaka University, demanding quota reform. The agitators demanded to bring down the quota system from 56 percent to 10 percent by reforming it. Later, on October 4 of that year, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular on the abolition of the quota system.

Through this, the quota system that existed for 46 years in the first and second class government jobs, was cancelled. Later in 2021, some children of freedom fighters filed a petition in the High Court challenging the part of the circular that canceled the quota of freedom fighters. In the judgment of that writ, that part of the circular was declared invalid on June 5 this year. Then general students who are looking for jobs entered the field.

Two students of Dhaka University appealed to the Appellate Division against the High Court's verdict on the reinstatement of the quota on July 9, after a few days of agitation. The next day, the Appellate Division issued a one-month stay on the judgment given by the High Court.

As a result of this order, the circular issued by the government in 2018 canceling the quota of freedom fighters remains in force. However, the students rejected this order of the Appellate Division and announced that they will continue their agitation until the law is passed in Parliament. The agitators also gave a memorandum to the President.