Play store
Despite being a holiday, the anti-quota movement showed no sign of respite on 5 July 2024 for the fifth consecutive day rather it gained further strength as a good number of political groups and professional bodies expressed their solidarity with the ongoing agitations by the university students and job seekers.
Though the government had tried to undermine the simmering students’ protests demanding reinstatement of the 2018 government circular, canceling the quota system in public service jobs in excuse of a higher court order, the protesters announced a new action of programme, dubbed the Bangla Blockade, to realize their demand.
The organizers announced the ‘Bangla Blockade’ with the idea of giving more impetus to the ongoing agitation to force the government to give in to the demands of the job seekers through a complete shutdown of the entire country.
In doing of so, students across Bangladesh took to the streets, blocked roads, formed human chains, and voiced their rejection of the reinstated quota system in government jobs.
On the same day, students from most universities across the country declared a boycott of classes and examinations expressing solidarity with the movement.
Prior to announcing the ‘Bangla Blockade’, the protesters blocked Shahbagh intersection for about an hour. Later, around 5:30 pm, they moved away from the spot, allowing traffic flow through Shahbagh.
The agitators under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement began a protest procession from in front of the Dhaka University Central Library around 3.15pm.
The rally paraded through DU’s Shadow and Mall Chattar, Surja Sen and Haji Muhammad Mohsin Halls, the Smriti Chironton Chattar, TSC, Bakshi Bazar, BUET campus, Palashi and Azimpur and ended at the Shahbagh intersection.
Before the procession reached Shahbagh, another group of protesters had already gathered in front of the National Museum.
As soon as the main procession reached the Faculty of Fine Arts, students in front of the museum blocked Shahbagh intersection around 4.37pm. They chanted slogans and maintained the blockade for 50 minutes.
On the same day, students from all public universities across the country organized protest marches and rallies under the anti-discrimination student movement banner. In addition to these demonstrations, students blocked roads and highways in Dhaka, Tangail, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Kushtia and Chattogram.
In the port city, students of Chittagong University gathered at Shaheed Minar and later blocked the Sholoshohor road from 4:00pm, halting traffic for nearly an hour and a half. They chanted slogans demanding an end to discrimination and call for the complete abolition of the quota system.
In Dinajpur, students of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) held protest in front of the campus gate. They raised slogans such as “Merit, not quota!” and “No place for discrimination in Golden Bengal,” standing firm in their demand for fair recruitment.
In Tangail, students from Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University formed a human chain at the campus entrance, joining the growing national chorus for justice and equality.
Protests also erupted at Jahangirnagar University, where students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway for about 20 minutes in the afternoon. Their blockade created a two-kilometre-long traffic jam as they pressed their four-point demand, including the immediate cancellation of the quota system.
In Khulna, students of Khulna University blocked roads in the Shiromoni area, bringing traffic to a halt and amplifying their demands.
Joining the tide of protests, many Dhaka University teachers expressed solidarity with the anti-quota movement. The Dhaka University “white panel” — a platform of pro-BNP and Jamaat teachers — extended formal support to the students.
At Jahangirnagar University, under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, a protest march began at 3.30pm, with demonstrators visiting various halls to spread their message. They announced a blockade of the Dhaka-Aricha highway from 3pm to 6pm.
Despite the occasion of Rajshahi University’s founding anniversary on that day, students there continued their protest and sit-in demanding quota reform. At 11am, a procession began from Paris Road and blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway in front of the university’s main gate, continuing until noon.
At Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, students blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway for two hours starting from 10am to press home their demand for the quota reforms in the government jobs.
At 12 noon, students from Islamic University blocked the Kushtia-Khulna highway near the university’s main entrance. Despite a heavy downpour during the protest, students continued their blockade. Prior to that, at around 11.30am, students had begun a march from the Bot Tala area near the faculty buildings.
At Begum Rokeya University, students blocked the Rangpur-Dhaka highway at Modern Mor around 12pm. After an hour and a half, they lifted the blockade around 1.45 pm, announcing that they would boycott classes and exams until their demands were met.