Cops foil anti-quota demo with batons, tear gas

Police today foiled a demonstration against the quota system in government jobs with batons and tear gas in Dhaka, injuring at least 15 demonstrators.

Rashedul Islam, coordinator of "Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad”, said about five demonstrators were picked up during the cop action.

Two of them were later released, said Maruf Hossain Sardar, deputy commissioner (Ramna zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Students and government job-aspirants began demonstration on the Dhaka University campus today and tried to march towards Bangladesh Secretariat when police intervened them near High Court.

Students claimed that five demonstrators are picked-up during the police action on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. Photo: Palash Khan

Around 11:00am, 400 demonstrators sat at “Shikkha Odhikar Chattar” while the law enforcers put barricade before them and asked to prepare a memorandum for submitting to the ministry.

At one stage, police fired teargas shells and started to charge baton on the demonstrators.

The general students are demonstrating near the High Court area demanding reformation of quota system in government jobs on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. Photo: Palash Khan

Police took action against the students as they were staging demonstration blocking the road, Abul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, told The Daily Star. 

The students have been demanding an end to the "discrimination created by the disproportionate quotas” in BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) exams and other government recruitment tests.

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