Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced on Wednesday that there would be no quota system in government jobs anymore, report agencies.
After hearing it protesters announced to halt their movement until this (Thursday) morning. They will also disclose their next step over the issue at the same time.
"The quota system is cancelled for stopping repeated sufferings (of common people due to movements) and avoiding repeated movements and disturbances. This is a clear word," she said while responding to a supplementary question during the question-answer session in Parliament.
The Prime Minister said, "If we go for reform (of the quota system now), another one (group) will come up after a few days and say we want further reform."
She said the question of reform will come if the quota system exists and there will be no problem of reform if it does not exist.
"So, there's no need for having the quota system," she said.
"They have protested enough," Hasina said. "Let them go home."
"And if it's necessary, there's the Cabinet Secretary whom I asked to work over the issue sitting with all concerned in this regard," she added.
Sheikh Hasina, however, said the government can arrange jobs for physically-challenged people and small ethnic groups in different ways. "They can join the service as well," she added.
Mentioning that Bangladesh Chhatra League President and Secretary met her on Wednesday morning, she said, "I told them that there'll be no quota as no one wants this."
The Prime Minister said even female students took to the streets saying they do not want quota.
"During the discussion with (AL general secretary) Obaidul Quader, women representatives said they don't want quota and they'll qualify for the BCS examination without quota. Well, I'm happy. I worked very much for women empowerment. When no one wants this, what is the need for having this? There's no need for having quota system," she said.
Sheikh Hasina urged the students to go back to classes.
Condemning the attack on the residence of the Dhaka University Vice-chancellor, she said those involved in the vandalism must be punished. "Those involved in the vandalism and looting must be punished. We've already engaged intelligence agencies to find out the perpetrators," she said.
Terming the attack 'heinous', the Prime Minister said this reminded her of the vandalism carried out by the Pakistani occupation forces in their Dhanmondi-32 house in the same style in 1971.
She said those carried out the attack are not eligible to be students of university or they are not students of the university. "No student can insult or attack his teacher."
Mentioning that she built Digital Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina lamented that now the Internet, Facebook and Youtube are being used as tools of spreading rumour.
Following a rumour on the social media that a student succumbed to his injuries, even female students came out to the street breaking the gates of their dormitories at the dead of night, she said questioning who would have taken the responsibility had any untoward incident happened.
"When the female students came out of the dormitories at dead of night, I couldn't sleep throughout the night. I sent Jahangir Kabir Nanak immediately there," the Prime Minister added.
Meanwhile another report adds, Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council on Wednesday announced to halt their movement until this (Thursday) morning and disclose their decision over it in a press conference in the morning.
At around 6:30 pm the Students' Rights Protection Council's convener Hasan Al Mamun said the Prime Minister's announcement of abolishing quota was not properly clear to them. They would discuss and decide the next course of their movement and then hold a press conference at Dhaka University Library around 10 am on Thursday, he said.
After the convener's declaration, the protesting students were seen leaving the campus while the crowd was thinning gradually, witnesses said.
In the morning, several hundred students of DU thronged in front of the Central Library and staged demonstration as part of their scheduled programme.
They also boycotted their classes and examinations.
