RU Correspondent:

Several hundred Rajshahi University (RU) students blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi railway at the Jamalpur flyover rail crossing at noon today, agitating for quota reform.

The students initially gathered at the university’s Paris Road at 11 am. From there, they proceeded with a procession and took up positions on the railway.

They demand to abolish unreasonable and discriminatory quotas in all grades of government jobs and reform the quota system by passing a law in parliament. They seek to reduce quotas for backward groups and those with special needs to a minimum level based on fairness.

On the surface, it can be seen that thousands of students from different departments are giving different slogans against quotas. Including, ‘Quota not merit, merit merit’, ‘Give news to the whole of Bengal, bury the quota system’, ‘Pakistan is not the country, the quota should be ended’, ‘Quota discrimination should be eradicated, the meritorious get freedom’, ‘Compromise not struggle, struggle’ They protested with various slogans like ‘Struggle’, ’18’s tool, let it roar again’, ‘Jegeche Re Jegeche, Chhatra Samaj has woken’, ‘There is no room for discrimination in Bangabandhu’s Bengal’, ‘Legeche Re Legeche, blood is on fire’.

One of the protestors, Mehdi, stated, “Like all of Bangladesh, we have continued the movement at Rajshahi University. Yesterday, we protested against this discriminatory quota through cultural events. Today, we have blocked the Rajshahi-Dhaka railway.”

“We have reached out to the Prime Minister, and hopefully, she will consider our logical demands. We want quota reforms in all government jobs,” he added.

It is worth noting that students have been protesting to demand quota reform for some time. Before this, they organized human chains, rallies, cultural programs, and highway blockades.