Protest against quota: RU students block Dhaka-Rajshahi highway

The students of Rajshahi University (RU) on Thursday (July 4) blocked Dhaka-Rajshahi highway in protest against the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs.

They brought out a protest procession from the Paris Road of the campus at 10am and later blocked the highway. The students from different halls participated in the programme.  

The students chanted different slogans against the quota system and demanded the reinstatement of the government circular, published in 2018, abolishing the quota system in government jobs.

The agitating students also placed a four-point demand during their blockade. 

The demands include the reform of the quota system in government jobs by forming a commission while continuing the 2018 circular. If a suitable candidate is not found within the quota, the vacancies should be filled based on merit. Individuals should only be allowed to use the quota once in all types of government competitive examinations during their lifetime. Additionally, effective measures must be taken to ensure a corruption-free, neutral, and merit-based bureaucracy.

Earlier in the day, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s verdict that declared the decision to cancel the quota system, including the first and second-class freedom fighter quota in government jobs, illegal.