University students and job-seekers on Sunday staged demonstrations across the country, demanding reforms of the existing quota system in government recruitment tests including Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations.
In Dhaka, several thousand students of different universities and job-seekers gathered at the premises of Raju memorial sculpture on Dhaka University demanding revision of quota system in government jobs.
They also demanded withdrawal of the case filed against 700 unidentified demonstrators on charges of vandalising government vehicles on March 14.
The students, under the banner of General Student's Right Protection Council (Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Sangrokkon Parishad), brought out a procession from DU's Central Library and paraded different streets at Nilkhet and Shahbagh and then took position near Raju Sculpture.
Hasan Al Mamun, convener of the council, announced 'road cleaning programme with certificates hanging from neck' from Shahbagh to Central Shaheed Minar on March 25 and a Nagorik Somabesh at the Central Shaheed Minar on March 29.
He also said, "Our movement is not against any person, any group or any organisation. It is a logical demand. We will continue our movement until our five-point demand is met and police withdraws the false case."
On February 17, students and job-seekers started the movement to press their five-point demand that include introduction of unified age limit in government jobs, review of quota system in government recruitment process, including Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination, stopping taking benefit by job-seekers under the same quota, filling vacant posts from merit list if the candidates from quota are not found and fixation of 10 per cent quota instead of existing 56 per cent.
In Rajshahi University, hundreds of students also brought out procession around 10:00am to press home the same demand. The procession started from the university library and ended at the Martyred Intellectual Memorial of the campus.
Meanwhile, students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology held a human chain and protest rally at the university library around 11:00am demanding reformation of quota system and withdrawal of a case against the protesters, reports UNB.