Leaders and activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement staged a sit-in on Wednesday, demanding the abolition of the “illogical dependents” quota in Jahangirnagar University’s (JU) admission test.
The protesters gathered in front of the university’s new administrative building at around 12:30pm.
They warned that if the quota was not fully revoked immediately, they would be forced to shut down the university indefinitely.
The demonstration was supported by Iqbal Hossain, member secretary of the JU unit of the Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, and Nazirul Islam, spokesperson for the Jahangirnagar Reform Movement. The sit-in continued until 3pm.
Touhid Siam, member secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s JU unit, said: “The dependents’ quota must be permanently abolished. University teachers, officers, and staff already have job security, but many students come from farming and working-class backgrounds.”
“The administration is imposing discrimination against them. This unjust quota must be removed from the admission process immediately,” he added.
Arifuzzaman, convenor of the JU unit, said: “While students under the dependents’ quota could get admitted by scoring minimal marks, children of farmers and workers had to compete solely on merit.”
He argued that such a system fosters inequality in universities.
“After a people’s uprising for an equitable society, no university should retain such a discriminatory quota. If it is not scrapped soon, a stronger movement will be launched with conscious students,” he added.
