Zahidul Islam, Central President of Islami Chhatra Shibir, said that the organization does not support quotas that exceed logical boundaries.
He said these on Tuesday during his visit to the "New Year Publication Festival 2025" organized by the Rajshahi University (RU) branch of Islami Chhatra Shibir.
When asked about the movement to abolish the ward quota in universities, Zahidul said: “The foundation of the July Revolution was built upon quota reform. We do not support any quota beyond rationality. We are aware of the ongoing quota movement at Rajshahi University and urge all responsible stakeholders, including the university administration, to facilitate discussions."
He further said: "A significant challenge in our political culture is the inability to sit together at the table. Instead of merely commenting and making statements publicly, if we can overcome this culture, we will be able to resolve not only the ward quota issue but also other political concerns in Bangladesh.”
Regarding student politics, he said: “Students desire a student-friendly political environment. In previous years, we have seen practices like hall domination and a culture of servitude between seniors and juniors. We aim to move away from these practices. After the events of August 5, we have been working to make Chhatra Shibir’s activities more student-centric and merit-based.”
Speaking about the upcoming announcement of the July Revolution on January 15, Zahidul said: “The July uprising was a result of collective participation, not the effort of a single party, individual or ideology."
He claimed: "We expect the January 15 announcement to reflect everyone’s opinions. If a consensus is achieved, we believe it will greatly benefit Bangladesh.”
The New Year Publication Festival 2025 was inaugurated by the RU branch of Islami Chhatra Shibir on Sunday and will continue until January 12.