Quota reformists yesterday issued an ultimatum to the government till August 31 to meet their three-point demands including reform quota in job recruitment exams. If their demands are not met by issued time students would wage tougher movement from Septe-mber.

Bin Yeamin Mollah, a joint convener of Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, the platform of students that led the quota reform movement, came up with the ultimatum from a rally in front of National Museum at Shahbagh in the capital. “We’ll go for tougher movement if the government does not take any steps to meet our demand within August 31 and the demonstration will spread across the country,” said Yeamin.

Their demands are: Immediate release of the activists, who were detained during movement, from jail, punishment of the attackers involved in assaulting teachers and students and publish a gazette notification of quota reform in the civil service in line with their earlier five-point demand.

He also urged the government to arrest assaulters who attacked protesters and release the detained students before Eid al-Adha.

Yamin said, “The demonstration will spread across the country if our demands are not and the protesters of quota as well as road safety movement won’t be released unconditionally. Government would have to arrest the attackers without harassing both movement protesters.”

He urged the students to express mourn with wearing black cloths, if the detained protesters would be not freed before Eid.

Till seven quota reformists have been detained.  

They also sought the unconditional release of the detained students who staged demonstration demanding safe roads. Movement convener Hasan Al Mamun along with at least twenty protesters was present at the rally. Some guardians of the detained quota reformists and road safety demonstrators also took part in the rally

This is the fifth time at least; quota reformists gave ultimatum for meeting their demands. Earlier, the quota reformists were scheduled to bring out a rally from Raju Sculptor but they could not do so as a group of Bangladesh Chhatra League brought out a rally from there during the same time.