Ward quota: RU staff suspends strike after admin assurance follows face-off with students
Meanwhile, students staged a counter-protest on Paris Road, rejecting the strike and labelling the quota demand as unjustified. They declared that reinstating such privileges would never be allowed.
Officers and employees of Rajshahi University (RU), who had been demonstrating for the reinstatement of the ward quota in student admissions, suspended their newly announced three-day strike today (24 August) following assurances from the university administration.
RU Officers' Association President Moktar Hossain confirmed this afternoon that academic and administrative activities would resume later in the day.
Earlier in the morning, the demonstrators announced a full-day work stoppage and sit-in in front of the RU administrative building for the fifth consecutive day. They had warned of tougher programmes and a three-day strike beginning tomorrow if their demand was not met.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The officials argued that their children are admitted following all requirements and demanded that the ward quota be reinstated at 5%, instead of the existing 1%.
Meanwhile, students staged a counter-protest on Paris Road, rejecting the strike and labelling the quota demand as unjustified. They declared that reinstating such privileges would never be allowed.
On 2 January, students locked down the administrative building from morning until night, reportedly confining around 200 teachers, officers, and employees inside to press for the cancellation of the ward quota.
Later that night, RU Vice-Chancellor Prof Saleh Hasan Naqib announced the abolishment of the ward quota system. Since then, the university's officials and employees have been protesting the decision.
