Protesters calling for reforms to quotas in civil service have postponed their agitations after the prime minister announced to abolish the system of reserved posts.
Demonstrators under the platform ‘Council for the Preservation of Bangladesh General Students’ have called off protests on Thursday, but made several demands including the swift release of a gazette on the matter and withdrawing all cases started with the police.
The platform’s Convener Hasan Al Mamun announced the decision during a rally at the Raju Memorial on the Dhaka University campus, where the protesters have been gathering for the last few days.
“The honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accepted the demands of the youth, so we are postponing our protests until the notification is issued,” he said before adding.
The platform, however, floated five demands, which were read out by its Joint Convener Nurul Haque Nur.
They are
>> Issuing of a gazette on the prime minister’s announcement of lifting quota system as soon as possible;
>> Unconditional release of detained demonstrators;
>> Withdrawal of the cases started by police and the Dhaka University authorities over violence on campus;
>> Medical expenses of demonstrators injured ‘in police violence’;
>> An assurance of anyone involved in the protests will not be harassed in the future;
“On behalf of students we would like to present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the title ‘Mother of Education’,” Nur added.
He, however, warned of launching protests if demonstrators are harassed by authorities.
The rally thanked teachers, intellectuals and journalists for standing by their demands.
Following the rally, a celebratory procession was taken out on the camps, when students raised slogans praising Prime Minister Hasina.