Students of Rajshahi University (RU) demanding civil service quota reform came under attack allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men when they were trying to form human chains at different points on the campus today.

At least 10 to 15 students suffered minor injuries during the incident, our local correspondent reports from the spot.

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Quota movement: CU students boycott classes

The students gathered at different points including the premises of the Central Library for forming human chains around 9:50am when the BCL members allegedly attacked them.

Later, a group of 100 to 150 students again regrouped in front of the library around 11:15am in an attempt to form a human chain. But the BCL men swooped on the students with sticks to foil their attempt.

Yesterday, at least seven members of Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, the platform demanding civil service quota reforms, were beaten allegedly by a group of BCL activists in front of Dhaka University Library.

In April, students of public and private universities across the country took to the streets demanding reforms in the quota system.

In the wake of the protests, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during a parliamentary session on April 11, declared the abolition of quotas.

After the government's failure to issue a gazette notification on the PM's announcement, the quota reform platform started an indefinite boycott of classes and examinations at all universities and colleges on May 14. They gave an ultimatum for the publication of the notification by May 13.

On May 21, quota reform demonstrators postponed their decision of boycotting examinations considering the month of Ramadan and at the prospect of “session jams” the strike might have caused.

However, on June 26, the PM suggested continuation of the existing freedom fighter quota in civil service.

At present, 56 percent of government jobs are reserved for candidates of various quotas, while the remaining 44 percent is drawn from applications on the merit list.

Of the 56 percent, 30 percent are kept for freedom fighters' children and grandchildren, 10 percent for women, 10 percent for people of underdeveloped districts, five percent for members of indigenous communities, and one percent for the physically-challenged people.