The students of Jagannath University (JnU) staged “Bangla Blockade” program blocking Zero Point in Gulistan in the capital on Monday to press home their four-point demand, including cancelling the quota system in government jobs and reinstating the 2018 circular.
As a result, hundreds of vehicles got stuck on the roads around this key intersection of the capital.
Students took position at zero point around 4:30pm on Monday.
Earlier, after 3pm, they marched towards Gulistan with a procession from Kanthaltala of the campus.
At this time, the police obstructed them three times under the Hanif flyover at Tantibazar intersection, Bangshal and Fulbaria, but the students ignored the obstacles and proceeded towards the zero point.
During a visit in the area, the students were found sitting around the Zero Point intersection and chanting slogans.
Protest songs and poems are going on along with chanting slogans.
Meanwhile, long queues of vehicles have formed on the surrounding roads due to the blocking of this important intersection.
Working people who return home after office are suffering. The passengers in the bus got down and left for their destination on foot.
Meanwhile, the protesting students blocked the major roads and intersection in Dhaka for the second day to enforce the Bangla Blockade and press home their four-point demand, including cancelling the quota system in government jobs and reinstating the 2018 circular.
On Sunday, after the "Bangla Blockade" event, the protestors announced that their actions would continue on Monday. Accordingly, they began blocking key points in the capital on Monday, raising concerns about severe traffic congestion like the previous day.
The four-point demands of the protesting students include reinstating the 2018 circular conditionally, forming a commission to promptly remove irrational and discriminatory quotas in government jobs (all grades), ensuring that quota benefits can not be used multiple times, and filling vacant positions based on merit if no qualified candidates are found through quotas. Effective measures must be taken to ensure a corruption-free, impartial, and merit-based bureaucracy.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the High Court’s verdict that declared the decision to cancel the quota system, including the first and second-class freedom fighter quota in government jobs, illegal.
On June 5, the High Court declared illegal the circular that canceled the quotas, including those for freedom fighters, in first and second-class government jobs.
As a result, the 30% quota for freedom fighters in government jobs (grades 9 to 13) will remain in place.
Following the High Court ruling, various discussions and criticisms emerged on social media. Additionally, protests and demonstrations took place in several locations, including Dhaka University.
Meanwhile, students of Dhaka University demanded the withdrawal of the High Court's verdict to reinstate the 30% quota for the children of freedom fighters in government jobs from grades 9 to 13.
On October 4, 2018, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular to implement the cabinet's decision to abolish the existing quota system for direct recruitment to first and second-class posts in government jobs.