Quota reform protesters have called off their protest and blockade at Shahbagh intersection after receiving an assurance from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regarding their demand.
The protesters demanding a gazette abolishing quotas in government jobs left Shahbagh on Monday evening after around six hours of demonstration halting traffic at the busy intersection.
Convener of Sadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parisad, the organising body of the protest, Hasan Al Mamun called off the demonstration at a press briefing around 7:50 pm, reports UNB.
The strike at educational institutes and the protest will resume from 10 am on Tuesday and will continue until the authorities meet their demand, he said.
Meanwhile, Nurul Haque Nur, another leader of the protest organisers, said they stopped the protests after receiving a message from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reassuring them of meeting their demand.
“She said in the message through a special medium that she would implement what she has said,” Nurul Haque added, reports bdnews24.com.
Nur said they would continue boycott of classes and exams until the government gazettes the elimination of the quotas.
“There won’t be any programme on the streets,” he added.
Earlier in the morning, the quota protesters blocked the Shahbagh intersection around 1:30pm, creating huge gridlock at Shahbagh and its adjoining areas.
Several thousand job seekers, students of different college and universities, brought out a procession from Shahbagh intersection around 11 am as part of their scheduled programme.
After the protests for reforms to the quota system in government jobs reached their peak last month,
On April 11, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced to abolish quota system in government jobs following protest to reform the system.
The protesters convened Monday's protest as the government did not publish a gazette abolishing the quota system in government jobs by the timeframe given by quota protestors.