The agitating students blocked the Shahbag intersection of the capital for five hours demanding the reinstatement of the circular issued by the government in 2018 canceling the quota system in government jobs. This has caused severe traffic jams on most of the capital's roads. As a result, the passengers have suffered greatly.
Students blocked Shahbag intersection from 12 noon on Thursday (July 4). Due to the location of the students, the road leading to Science Lab, Mirpur Road, Motijheel was closed. As the traffic was stopped, many of the passengers walked towards their destination. They have blocked the intersection until the report is written.
Earlier, students gathered in front of the central library at 11:30 am. Later, students marched to Dhaka University's Masterda Suryasen Hall, Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, Vice Chancellor's residence, Raju Sculpture and came to Shahbagh and laid siege.
Normally it takes about fifteen minutes to go to Farmgate from Mohammadpur in the capital by motorcycle. But today around 3 pm, a victim said that it takes about one and a half hours to go this way. The situation in other parts of the capital is similar, some victims said. However, bus passengers are suffering more than motorcyclists.
Anamika, a student of Holy Cross College, said that after the exam, she came out of the hall and saw heavy traffic on the road. I wanted to go home quickly and take a rest. That is not happening because of traffic.
Rakib Hasan, the parent of another student, said that heavy traffic has started since morning. Maybe because of Shahbagh, the traffic jam has spread all over the capital. Every day so much traffic is increasing the suffering in our normal life.
Babu, a Bikalpa Paribahan bus driver in Kawranbazar, said that the traffic jam is increasing due to the Shahbagh movement for several days. Apart from the suffering of passengers, our income is decreasing. Have to stay in jam for hours. Many passengers are leaving on foot.
Salman, a fourth-year student of Dhaka University, who participated in the movement, said, "We will not leave the streets until our demands are met." Students across the country have woken up today. This movement will be successful if Shahbagh, Science Lab Road and Metrorail are closed.
It is known that before the holy Eid-ul-Azha on June 5, the High Court declared invalid the circular for the cancellation of freedom fighter quota in the case of direct recruitment (grades 9 to 13) in government offices, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions and various corporations. From that day, a large number of students started protesting in Dhaka University. In this situation, the state applied to the Appellate Division seeking suspension of the court's decision. A full bench of the Appellate Division fixed July 4 for hearing the petition.
Nahid Islam, a student of Sociology Department of Dhaka University, one of the organizers of the recent quota reform movement, said that their demand is mainly to redistribute or reform the quota by setting up a commission with a maximum quota of 10 percent in all grades subject to the upholding of the 2018 circular; Stopping the possibility of using quota facility multiple times in the job examination and appointing the vacant posts on the basis of merit if qualified candidates are not found in the quota and taking effective measures to ensure a corruption-free, impartial and merit-based bureaucracy.
Till 2018, there was a total of 56 percent quota in government jobs in Bangladesh. That year, protests started in various educational institutions of the country, including Dhaka University, demanding quota reform. At that time, the protesting students complained of attack by law enforcement agencies including Chhatra League.
On October 4 of that year, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular on the cancellation of quota. Later in 2021, the children of freedom fighters filed a writ challenging the part of the freedom fighter quota cancellation of that circular.