Govt ready to sit with quota reform protesters: Law minister

Highlights

• Govt wants dialogue with protesters
• Law and education ministers to lead dialogue
• Judicial Inquiry Committee formed to probe 6 deaths
• Will be led by High Court Justice Khondker Diliruzzaman
• Govt to request Appellate Division to advance hearing date

Law Minister Anisul Huq today (18 July) said the government is ready to sit with the quota reform protesters and discuss a way out from the current volatile situation prevailing in the country, adding that a judicial body had also been formed to find out the reasons behind the killings of six people yesterday.

"I and Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury have been given the responsibility to talk with the quota protesters. We are ready when they are. The discussion can happen this afternoon if they want," the minister said.

"No need to protest anymore. I request you, as an elderly citizen, to stop this movement and call it off," he said. 

When asked why the government took so long to sit with the pro-quota reformists, he said they did not delay.

"They gave the proposal to sit with us today. We agreed to do so. So how were we late?"

'No dialogue with bullets': Quota reform leaders refuse to sit with the government, say movement will continue

The minister also said that the government has formed a judicial inquiry committee with High Court Justice Khondker Diliruzzaman as its head to investigate the killings of six people in clashes between the protesters and police yesterday.

"We will request the Appellate Division to advance the date of the hearing on The High Court's verdict on quota, which was previously fixed at 7 August," Anisul added.

"I want to clearly say, I have said before, the matter is with the apex court. When the hearing begins, the government will give a proposal on quota." 

He also said the government in principle was in favour of reforming the quota system.