Quota protesters’ speech unconstitutional: Quader 

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said the demands and statements of the quota protesters contradict the country’s constitution and the fundamental principles of the state governance.

Obaidul Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, made the remarks at a press conference at the Awami League President’s Dhanmondi office on Saturday afternoon.

The necessity of the quota system in the current context of the country, pointing out that a conspiratorial group is attempting to exploit the quota reform movement for their own gain.

Participation of women has decreased due to lack of quota in the last few years. Marginalized people have also fallen behind, he pointed out.Bangladesh has one of the lowest quota percentages for recruitment in South Asia, citing that India has 60 per cent, Pakistan 92.5 per cent, Nepal 45 per cent, and Sri Lanka 50 per cent in public sector jobs and 60 per cent in university admissions, he said.

Prior to the press briefing, Quader met with representatives from university teachers who are protesting against a pension scheme.

The meeting was joined by 13 teacher representatives led by Akhtarul Islam, President of the Bangladesh University Teachers Association Federation, and General Secretary Professor Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan.

Awami League Joint General Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organizational Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, Mirza Azam, and Afzal Hossain, Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Biplab Barua, Deputy Minister for Education Shamsunnahar Chapa, and Prime Minister's Advisor on Education and Culture, poet Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury were also present.