The ruling party Awami League considers failure to keep the party leaders and activists in the field during the violence surrounding the quota reform movement. The high command of the party has given instructions to list all the leaders and activists who could not be brought to the field even in such an anarchic situation.

The quota reform movement started mainly around a judgment given by the High Court. In that judgment given on June 5 this year, the circular issued by the government in 2018 canceling the quota system was declared invalid. Since then, the students have been talking about reforming the quota system in government jobs permanently. At one point they started holding various programs at Shahbag intersection from July 1 with an ultimatum.

After that, violence gradually increased with the movement. With this, various political parties are associated with it, which became gigantic. Fire broke out in various government buildings. In this situation, the government had to bring the situation under control by issuing a curfew from last Friday (July 19) night.

However, before the situation became so complicated, on Wednesday (July 17), Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader instructed the leaders and activists to prepare in each ward. He then referred to the slogan of Dhaka University students 'Tumi ke, Ami ke Razakar, Razakar' surrounding the Prime Minister's speech at the press conference after her visit to China as arrogant. At the same time, he also said that the Prime Minister's speech has been misinterpreted.

Addressing the activists, he said that the Chhatra Dal-Chhatra Shibir was led by the quota reform movement. Our existence has been attacked, threatened. We have to deal with this situation. So you get ready ward by ward.

Even after such a warning from the Awami League General Secretary, no movement was seen among the party leaders and workers. Rather, the party could not put up any resistance in front of the movement. Although Awami League and various affiliates and organizations have central committees with various wards and police stations in Dhaka, many of them were not seen in the field.

Awami League considers its organizational failure as a party to be unable to deal with the movement politically and to adopt such an extreme form of violence. The ruling party has therefore taken the initiative to prepare a list of those who are responsible for this organizational weakness and who were not in the field even from important positions in the party.

According to party sources, the central leaders of the party sat in a meeting at the central office of Awami League at 23, Bangabandhu Avenue on Tuesday (July 23) afternoon. The party's Dhaka Metropolitan Committee and top leaders of various affiliated organizations were also present there.

In the meeting, Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader informed the leaders and workers of the party about the various instructions of the party president. Referring to the instructions of the party president, he asked the leaders and workers to follow the six instructions. They are: taking positions of activists without violating the curfew law, identifying external terrorists and handing over them to the police station, making a list of injured and killed activists, working in mosques to prevent rumors, continuing to distribute food items to the needy and the affected, and coordination in the respective neighborhoods and have a meeting

According to the sources of the meeting, it is also known that the high command sees the lack of presence in the field to prevent sabotage and terrorist activities centered on the quota movement as an organizational weakness. That's why the party and associate organizations have organizational weaknesses and identify why they did not enter the field and the instructions of the President Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to prepare a list of those who were not in the field at that time but went into hiding, even from responsible positions.

The party believes that lack of coordination is a major reason behind this failure. That is why the organization has been asked to overcome the lack of coordination and make it stronger and more united. In that case, senior leaders of the party, party parliament-members, councilors and top leaders of affiliated organizations have been given the responsibility.

According to party sources, party president Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is constantly monitoring the matter. The General Secretary gave instructions on all the issues that came to the attention of the party chief where the issue of overcoming organizational weaknesses and preparing a list of inactive employees is given more importance.

When asked about the overall issue, a responsible leader of Awami League, who did not wish to be named, told Barta24.com, "We did not notice that BNP-Jamaat has become so organized internally. Being a government party has led to laziness. From there we have to stand up. Organizations need to be more organized. Keep a watchful eye around.

A case has been filed against Bogura district Awami League leaders on charges of attack and arson in the party office. Awami League leaders, Chhatra League leaders who recently announced their resignation, former president and general secretary of district Chattra union, principal and director of two private polytechnics have been accused. A 68-year-old woman Councilor has also been charged.

Khalekuzzaman Raja, deputy office secretary of the district Awami League, filed the case against 150 anonymous people including 87 names on the night of July 22.

Among the defendants in the case, Asadul Haque Kajol, member of the executive committee of Ward No. 10 of Bogra Town Awami League and former general secretary of Rahman Nagar Regional Committee of Jubo League, has been made defendant No. 66. He is the president of the city's BRTC shopping complex. The general secretary of that market Tofazzal Hossain Akram has also been accused. But all of his own and in-law's family are connected with Awami League politics. His younger brother has been serving as the general secretary of Bihar Union Awami League of Shibganj Upazila in Bogura for a long time. The other accused in the case, Abu Bakkar Siddique, is a member of the 9th Ward Committee of Madla Union of Shajahanpur Upazila in Bogura, Syed Abdul Bari, president of that union Awami League. Accused number 12 in that case, Zaki Tajwar Samudra, was the deputy-office secretary of Dhaka University's social science faculty branch. He announced his resignation from Chhatra League by posting on Facebook on the night of July 16 last night in protest against the attack on the students of district school in Satmatha of Bogura town. Saddam Hossain, the former president of the district Chattra union, and Shawon Pal, the general secretary, have been accused in that case. However, during the attack, the offices of the District Students' Union and the Communist Party were also attacked. In the case, the principal of the private polytechnic institute called BIIT in Bogura Sahabuddin Saikat and the director of IITB Sabur Shah Lotus have also been accused.

Besides, Bogura Municipality Panel Mayor-3 and 68-year-old woman Councilor Shirin Akhter have also been accused in the case. Her husband Bazlur Rashid is mentioned as the father in the affidavit.

Awami League leader Kajal referred to being accused in the case of vandalism and arson of the party office as motive and said that at the time of the incident, I along with the general secretary and other members of the committee were busy protecting the market. To prevent the attack and looting of the shops, we took a position inside the market and stopped the protesters from entering the market. But it is very shameful to be accused in the incident of burning the office of the party of which I am a member.

Dhaka University student Zaki Tajwar was a 2019 SSC batch student of Samudra Bogura District School and a 2021 HSC batch student of Govt Azizul Haque College. His father Mahtab Uddin is a retired Principal of Govt Azizul Haque College, Bogura. He mentioned that he was in Bogura at the time of the incident and told reporters that it may not be that he has been accused in the case of burning down the party office of Awami League because of his resignation from Chhatra League in connection with the attack on Zilla school students. Someone may have misled the Awami League leaders and implicated him in a false case.

He said that there are many CCTV cameras in Satmatha area. The video footage should have been collected and the persons involved should have been identified. I have been accused in a false case based on the incident of that day.

Saddam Hossain, former president of District Students' Union, accused in that case, said that the complaint is very ridiculous, because the Awami League office and our office are located in the same building. Not only the Awami League office, but also the Student Union and Communist Party offices were damaged in the attack and arson. Looking at the case, it seems that we attacked our own office.

In that case, there are names of 87 people including BNP-Jamaat leaders and workers at various levels, besides Bogura district BNP president Rezaul Karim Badsha, general secretary Ali Azgar Talukdar Hena. It is mentioned in the statement of the case, apart from the accused, 100 to 150 unidentified accused armed with indigenous weapons attacked, vandalized and set fire to the offices of the district Awami League and affiliated organizations and exploded cocktails with anti-government slogans. They looted the goods of the office. In addition, the private office of Sultan Mahmud Khan Roni, the publicity and publication secretary of the neighboring town club and district Awami League, and the temporary police camp in front were attacked, set on fire and looted.

When contacted, Khalekuzzaman Raja, deputy office secretary of the district Awami League, who is the plaintiff in the case, said that I have sued as the deputy office secretary of the party. The names of the accused in the case have been decided in the party meeting.

Bogura Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saihan Oliullah said that the written complaint from the district Awami League has been accepted as a case. Names of those whose involvement cannot be obtained during the investigation will be omitted. 

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has expressed its support for a total shutdown across the country on Thursday (July 18) to demand quota reforms in government jobs.

Didar Hasan, a member of BNP's media wing, gave this information in a press release on Thursday (July 18) at 12:15 p.m.

Didar Hasan said that 7 people were martyred in the violent attack of the police and the armed Chhatra League on the peaceful movement of the students. Apart from this, many people were injured in the massive attack by RAB, Police, BGB and SWAT on the protesting ordinary students even today. According to the decision taken by the BNP National Standing Committee meeting today in this despicable bloody incident, full support has been given to the 'Complete Shutdown' program called by the anti-discrimination student movement tomorrow on July 18 for the logical demand of quota reform in government jobs.

More than 100 cocktails and firearms have been recovered from the central office of BNP in Nayapaltan of the capital. Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB) arrested seven people, including the former president of Chhatra Dal, Shravan.

DMP Additional Commissioner of Police (Detective) Mohammad Haroon Or Rashid told reporters after the raid on Tuesday (July 16).

The DB chief claimed that more than a hundred cocktails, seven domestic and foreign weapons, and more than 500 batons were seized in a raid at the BNP central office. Seven people including the former president of Chhatra Dal were arrested.

Haroon said that the BNP central office was raided keeping a close eye on the ongoing quota reform movement and a group is trying to take it to a different direction.