Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council (BGSRPC) and Muktijoddha Sontan Command held contradictory programmes on the Dhaka University campus yesterday. BGSRPC held a human chain at Shahbagh in the afternoon to demand publication of a gazette on quota reformation. On the other hand, Muktijoddha Sontan Command took out a rally at TSC to demand retaining the present 30 per cent reservation for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters. Addressing the human chain, BGSRPC convener Hasan Al Mamun said: “We have never sought full abolition of reservation, but demand the immediate publication of a gazette notification on quota reformation in line with our five-point demands.” The five-point demands include reducing the quota from 56 per cent to 10 per cent, filling in the vacant positions from the merit list if eligible candidates are not found from the quota, abolishing the special examination for quotas, bringing uniformity in age-limit for government recruitment process, and stopping the use of quota facility for more than once.

The students’ body has also demanded the immediate release of renowned photographer Shahidul Alam, Chittagong University (CU) teacher Maidul Islam and other jailed quota reform activists, punishment to those who had attacked teachers and students at different educational institutions, and the Cabinet to discuss reformation of the quota system in the civil services at its meeting today.

Also yesterday, the DU unit of Muktijoddha Sontan Command submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office after holding a rally on the campus.

In a related development, Adibasi Quota Songrokkhon Parishad has announced to stage a blockade in front of the Secretariat at 10.30 am today to demand reducing quota to the earlier five per cent.

At present, there is 56 per cent reservation in the country. Of this, 30 per cent is for the offspring of freedom fighters, 10 per cent is based on district quota, 10 per cent reserved for women, 5 per cent is for ethnic communities and 1 per cent is kept for people with disabilities.