Quota protest: JU students block Dhaka-Aricha highway for 2 hours, boycott classes, exams
The blockade that led to severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway ended at 1pm after a short rally
Jahangirnagar University students has concluded their two-hour-long "Bangla Blockade" programme this afternoon (7 July) by blocking the Dhaka-Aricha highway from 11am to 1pm.
Students of all 36 departments have also boycotted their classes and exams.
Earlier on the day, the JU students protesting against the reinstatement of quotas in government jobs gathered in front of the central library around 10:30am under the banner "Anti-Discriminatory Students' Movement".
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From there, they took out a protest march and reached the university's main entrance gate by 11:10am. They then moved onto the Dhaka-Aricha Highway, blocking both lanes and initiating a two-hour-long blockade.
The blockade that led to severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway ended at 1pm after a short rally.
Habibullah Sifat, a student from the English department said, "There is no disrespect intended towards the freedom fighters among those protesting here today. Freedom fighters are the nation's greatest heroes, deserving of every respect. However, the discrimination they fought to eliminate still persists in the country."
He said, "The government should increase the allowances for freedom fighters. No one would object to that. But it is not desirable to extend these benefits to their children and grandchildren."
Earlier yesterday, demanding the abolition of the quota system and the reinstatement of the 2018 government recruitment circular based on merit, the protesting students announced a nationwide 'Bangla Blockade'.
The students also called for each college and university students nationwide to participate in the blockade programme and block every intersection and traffic signal in the country.
On 1 July, JU students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway for ten minutes, demanding the abolition of the quota system in government jobs. Later, they continued to protest by blocking the highway daily on 2, 3 and 4 July.
The students, however, did not block the highway on Friday (5 July) and Saturday (6 July). Instead, they held a human chain programme on the campus on Friday and a protest march on Saturday.
The highway blockade was initially planned from 3pm to 6pm.
Later, students under the "Anti-Discriminatory Students Movement" informed that they rescheduled today's highway blockade programme from 11am-1pm out of respect for the Hindu religious festival Rath Yatra.
The demands of the protesting students include the quick abolition of discriminatory quotas in all grades of government jobs (keeping the 2018 circular intact), not allowing multiple uses of quota benefits in government job exams, ensuring appointment by merit in vacant positions when no suitable candidates are found under the quota, and adopting effective measures to ensure a corruption-free, impartial, and merit-based bureaucracy.
However, the students noted that, consideration may be given only to the backward and disadvantaged communities as per the Constitution.
