As part of the ‘Bangla Blockade’ program of the anti-quota activists, students and job aspirants are protesting by blocking the Shahbagh, Sciencelab and Chankharpool intersections of the capital and protesting for four more demands, including the reinstatement of the quota cancellation circular. Traffic in these areas and nearby roads almost stopped.

Students blocked Shahbagh Mor under the banner of ‘anti-discrimination student movement’ around 3:50 pm on Sunday. At the same time students of nearby colleges including Amar Ekushey Hall, Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall and Shahidullah Hall blocked the Chankharpul intersection.

Students of Dhaka College and nearby colleges have blocked Science Lab intersection from 2:30 today. And Titumir’s college and surrounding students are supposed to block Mahakhali.

Earlier, as part of the pre-announced ‘Bangla Blockade’ program, the students took a position in front of the Dhaka University Central Library. In this, students join positions under the banner of their department, hall and institute. After this march, the VC of the University came through TSC Shahbagh and blocked the intersection.

The halls of the science faculty were blocked from their halls by the nearby colleges including Chankharpool and Dhaka College. During this time, the students chanted slogans like ‘Ekattare Path Dharo, Bangla Blockade Succeed’, ‘Kota Quit Kalam Haro, Bangla Blockade Succeed’, ‘Dafa Ek Daabi Ek, Kota Not Comeback’ etc.

Earlier, the coordinators of the protestors announced the Bangla blockade program after the protest march on Saturday. As a part of this program, the students have already blocked various highways and roads including Dhaka’s science lab. However, the protestors said that the Rath Yatra of Sanatan religious people will be exempted from the scope of their blockade program.

Meanwhile, in the discussion meeting of the foundation anniversary of Bangladesh Jubo Mahila League at Ganobhaban today, the Prime Minister said that there is no justification for the anti-quota movement of students by excluding education and going against the court verdict. Sheikh Hasina said that the students are protesting to cancel the freedom fighter quota. Those who protested earlier, how many passed the Public Service Commission exam, how many are doing now. It is a sub judice matter, pending in court. He said students are wasting time by protesting against the court order by skipping studies. There is no justification for this movement.

It is believed that the police may take a strict stand after this speech of the Prime Minister. Even though the police did not stop the students during the siege so far, the police may try to remove the students from Shahbagh after some time today. And the police can go to action if the students do not respond to the request.

In addition to the reinstatement of the quota cancellation circular, the other demands of the students are that if the government wants to take any action on the quota system in the future, subject to the 2018 circular being upheld, it should form a commission and remove unreasonable and discriminatory quotas in all grades in government jobs as soon as possible, consider the backward communities as per the constitution, Stopping the possibility of using quota-facility multiple times in the recruitment examination, appointing the vacant posts on the basis of merit if qualified candidates are not found in the quota and taking effective measures to ensure a corruption-free, impartial and merit-based bureaucracy.