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The Anti-quota protests that culminated in a one point movement aimed at downfall of the fascist Sheikh Hasina regime in Bangladesh gained more steam on its third consecutive day on 3 July 2024 through spilling over across the country.
The student movement against the reinstatement of the quota system in public service recruitment escalated further as agitations expanded outside university campuses to major roads and highways and key city intersections, exerting mounting pressure on the government.
The university students in continuation of their coordinated demonstrations came down heavily on the street demanding the cancellation of the reinstated quota system as their protest against the restoration of government job quotas gained significant traction.
The agitations, virtually originated at Dhaka University, quickly turned into a synchronized mobilisation effort across various public universities, as students called for the reinstatement of the 2018 circular that had previously abolished quotas in first- and second-class government job recruitment.
Nearly 3,000 students assembled near Dhaka University’s Central Library in the afternoon. The agitated students marched through campus landmarks — Kola Bhaban, Surja Sen Hall and the Vice-Chancellor’s residence — gathering momentum as students from affiliated colleges and other universities joined in. By the time the procession reached Shahbagh, the crowd had risen to more than 5,000.
One side of the Shahbagh intersection was blocked by protesters, who staged a sit-in from roughly 3:45 pm to 5:20 pm. The demonstration remained peaceful, with a significant police presence monitoring the situation.
The movement originated at Dhaka University quickly expanded into a coordinated mobilisation effort across multiple public universities, as students called for the reinstatement of the 2018 circular that had previously abolished quotas in first- and second-class government job recruitment.
Taking part in the agitation, organisers, said, “The High Court recently declared the 2018 circular cancelling the quota system illegal. The government has filed a writ petition, and a verdict is expected tomorrow. If the quota system is reinstated, we will escalate our movement.”
Meanwhile, students of Jagannath University held a procession from their campus to the Taantibazar intersection, blocking the road towards Jatrabari and halting incoming vehicles for about an hour.
At Jahangirnagar University, several hundred students marched from the Central Library to the Dhaka-Aricha highway, blocking it at around 3:15pm. The blockade lasted until they were persuaded to withdraw by university authorities and the police.
Protests were not confined to the capital city Dhaka only. In Chattogram, students of Chittagong University began demonstrating at their Shaheed Minar at 11:00am before marching to the main gate. There, they blocked the Chattogram-Khagrachhari highway for around 40 minutes. Similar demonstrations occurred across the country: Students of Barisal University blocked the Barisal-Kuakata highway, bringing passenger and cargo vehicles to a complete halt. In Mymensingh, students of Bangladesh Agricultural University stopped train services along the Dhaka-Mymensingh route for over an hour. In Rangpur, students of Begum Rokeya University barricaded the Dhaka-Rangpur highway, joining the nationwide chorus against what they deemed a discriminatory recruitment system. In Rajshahi, protests continued for the third day at the University of Rajshahi.
Across campuses, protesters issued chants such as “Kota bebostha nipat jak, Medhabira mukti pak,” and “Medhabider kanna, ar na, ar na,” reflecting their demand for a merit-based system and their frustration with the perceived injustice of reinstating quotas.
In contrast to the ongoing development, the government-backed student platform Muktijoddha Quota Reinstatement Movement held a rally in support of the quota system at Shahbagh, before marching to the Raju Memorial Sculpture at DU. They demanded the enforcement of the High Court verdict and the issuance of a new circular reflecting it.
By the end of the day, it became clear that the anti-quota movement was beginning to extend beyond campus boundaries, with signs that it could soon evolve into a broader, nationwide mobilisation. With a crucial court verdict expected the next day, the stage was set for the agitation to enter a new phase.
