Several hundred studentsblocked the Shahbagh intersection in the capital for an hour this afternoon in protest of the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs.

The protesters gathered at the busy Shahbagh intersection around 3:45pm chanting slogans. There was intense traffic congestion on the roads between Bangla Motor and Shahbagh, Shahbagh and Science Lab, and Shahbagh and Kakrail due to the students' action.

They left the intersection around 4:45pm, reports our Dhaka University correspondent. 

Nahid Islam, one of the organisers of the"Boishommo Birodhi Chattrra Andolon", said, "We have restarted the protest from yesterday after ending ultimatum that was till June 30. The protest will continue for the next two days."

Another protester said they would march to the DU vice-chancellor's residence and stage a sit-in demanding that the Central Library be opened.

The library has been closed since yesterday, when public university teachers countrywide started an indefinite work abstention demanding reinstatement of the previous pension scheme in place of the Universal Pension Scheme.  

Photo: Sirajul Islam Rubel

"We demand reinstatement of the 2018 circular that stated the cancellation of quota. After the initiative, if the government wishes to reform the quota logically, we will accept it. But we do not accept reinstatement of quota in the government job," said Asif Mahmud, one of the organisers of the movement and a student of Dhaka University.

Hundreds of students earlier gathered in front of Central Library around 2:30pm. They took out a procession which marched from Nilkhet to Katabon intersection and then moved to Shabagh intersection around 3:45pm.

A team of police personnel took position before the protestors arrived.

Students started the movement after the HC on June 5 declared illegal the government decision that in 2018 cancelled the 30 percent quota system for the freedom fighters' children in the civil service of ninth to 13th grades.