Barisal University students protest court order reinstating quota in govt jobs

Students from Barisal University (BU) blocked the Dhaka-Barisal highway on Sunday, protesting the High Court's order reinstating the discriminatory quota system in government jobs.

More than 500 students staged demonstration on the highway from 11:15am to 12:15pm, disrupting traffic and causing suffering to passengers.

After the blockade, the students brought out a protest procession on the highway. Later, the students held a protest rally in front of the administrative building.

Sujoy Shuvo, Sibat Ahmed, Bhumika Sarkar, Anika Sarkar, Mrittunjoy Roy and some other students spoke during the blockade program. During the event, students chanted slogans.

They said they demanded the abolition of all discriminatory quotas except those for ethnic people and people with disability.

A protester, Bhumika Sarkar, said: "Our main demand is to end the quota system. We are also calling for the removal of unnecessary quotas, like the 30% for freedom fighters."

Meanwhile,  Government Brojomohun College, Barishal students organized a separate protest march and formed human chains on campus and nearby roads on Sunday noon.

Yusuf Hossain, a BM college student, said: "A 56% quota system is not suitable for education and job appointments in any country. Jobs should be secured through hard work, not quotas. The quota system doesn't benefit our nation and mocks our talented individuals."

The High Court on Wednesday ordered the retention of a 30% freedom fighter quota in government jobs, declaring illegal the circular issued on October 4, 2018, cancelling the quota system.

The government, through the circular on October 4, 2018, said direct recruitment in all government jobs in 9th grade to 13th grade will be completely based on merit, abolishing quota system.

Source: UNB