The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) will publish the new results of the 34th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) preliminary examination, after review, on Sunday. BPSC chairman Ahmedul Haque Chowdhury said this on Saturday, while talking to reporters. He also said the previous results announced on July 8 were cancelled. The BPSC decided to review the results, following a massive protest by the examinees at Shahbagh Merit Square, protesting against reservation of seats.
Meanwhile, at least 20 persons sustained injuries in clashes between police and Chhatra League activists, as government jobseekers and students continued their stir in different universities across the country, for the third day, demanding abolition of quota system in government jobs and the BCS examination.
Meanwhile, the demonstrators at “Shahbagh Merit Evaluation Square” called a strike on Sunday, in all higher educational institutions, on five-point demands, including cancellation of quota provision and withdrawal of all cases against the agitators. The other demands include release of detained students unconditionally, carrying out probe into the police attacks on peaceful demonstration and stopping restrictions on peaceful movement. A fresh programme was announced through a press release on Saturday.
The demonstrators threatened that tougher action, including non-stop strikes would be observed, if their demands are not met. They urged the students of all public and private universities, including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Chittagong University, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh Agricultural University, and Sylhet Science and Technology University, to observe Sunday’s strike.
Demonstrators in front of Dhaka University Central Library (DUCL) also announced the programme to enforce strike in all the higher educational institutions across the country, on Sunday. As part of the programme, several hundred jobseekers gathered in front of DUCL around 11.30 am, and chanted slogan, “We don’t accept the discriminatory quota system/ Double standard won’t be allowed in the country.”
A group of Chhatra League activists led by general secretary of DU unit, Omar Sharif, launched a sudden attack on the demonstrators, injuring five students. Of the injured students, two were identified as Mohsin and Mahbub. Mohsin was stated to be the vice-president of DU unit of Chhatra League. Omar Sharif told reporters that the demonstrators gathered to create anarchy on the campus. “We have driven them away,” he added.
The demonstrators also claimed that police and Chhatra League activists carried out attacks on the students of Rajshahi University while they were protesting against the quota system. They said that at least 20 persons were injured during the attacks of police and armed activists of Chhatra League, on the campus of Dhaka and Rajshahi universities.
Meanwhile, Rajshahi University students blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway for 45 minutes, three days after the protest erupted from Shahbagh intersection in the capital. As part of their scheduled programme, over 1,000 RU students started the protest in front of the university’s main entrance, at around 11 am, halting traffic movement on the highway. The agitators left the highway around 11:45 am, saying that they would resume the stir at 10 am on Sunday, and continue it until the government cancels the quota system.
Jahangirnagar University students organised a march in their campus around 11 am, chanting slogans and demanding abolition of quota. At one stage, the students had to backtrack, as the leaders and activists of Chhatra League of the university were engaged in a heated altercation with them.
JU proctor Muzibur Rahman told reporters that students did not seek any permission for holding a rally or procession on the campus. He, however, expressed his ignorance about the BCL’s activities against the demonstrators.
-With The Independent input
