After a one-day break in their blockade programme, students demonstrating against the quota system in government jobs have announced a nationwide blockade for today.

"As part of the programme, all highways and railways across the country will be blocked," Nahid Islam, a Dhaka University student and an organiser of the movement, told a press conference in front of the DU central library yesterday.

The daylong movement will begin at 10:00am and continue until dusk, during which students will enforce blockades at key intersections in the capital and highways adjacent to colleges and universities across the country, the organisers said.

However, many will be looking at the Supreme Court's Appellate Division today as it is scheduled to hear a petition against the High Court ruling that reinstated a 30 percent quota for the children of freedom fighters in the 9th through 13th grades of government jobs.

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Quota protests on; govt looks to SC for a way out

Regarding the hearing, Nahid said, "Since this case has reached the court, legal procedures will be followed. We have complete faith in the justice system.

"Having said that, since the quota system was once abolished through a movement, we believe there is another opportunity for intervention ... this time, we want to settle the quota issue for good. We want a law passed in parliament as a permanent solution.

"So, our movement is now directed towards the government and the executive branch. The "Bangla Blockade" will continue until our demands are met."

EYES ON COURT

Earlier in the day, two DU students filed a petition challenging the High Court verdict, which was later placed at the chamber court for a hearing today.

Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, chamber judge of the Appellate Division, passed the order after senior lawyer Shah Monjurul Hoque submitted the petition on behalf of the students.

Two students are Al Sadi Bhuiyan, a student of the anthropology department and president of Dhaka University Journalist Association, and Urdu department student Ahnaf Saeed Khan.

Meanwhile, a full bench of the Appellate Division is scheduled tomorrow to hold a hearing on the government petition challenging the HC verdict.

Following a writ petition, the HC on June 5 declared illegal the government decision that cancelled the 30 percent quota for the children of freedom fighters in the civil service for ninth to 13th grades.

Law Minister Anisul Huq welcomed the students' decision to file the petition with the SC against the HC verdict and hoped that the agitators would now call off their movement.

"I think this decision to file the petition is a positive step. They can place their arguments through their lawyers. After hearing the arguments, the court will ensure justice," he said in response to queries from reporters at his ministerial office in the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Students from public universities and colleges, along with job seekers, started demonstrating a week ago, with a four-point demand, including the reinstatement of a 2018 circular that abolished the quota system in government jobs.

On Monday, they launched the "Bangla Blockade" following a one-point demand for scrapping all illogical and discriminatory quotas in public service through enactment of a law and keeping a minimum quota for marginalised citizens in line with the constitution.

COUNTRYWIDE PROTEST

As part of the nationwide anti-quota movement, students at Rajshahi University held a sit-in at the university's Paris Road for an hour from 3:00pm.

Mehedi Sajeev, one of the coordinators of the movement, said, "We want all discriminatory quotas to be reformed except the ones for the disadvantaged, disabled, and marginalised communities."

Rajshahi College students blocked a road in front of the college for three hours from 11:00am.

In Chattogram, students of Chittagong University held a mass campaign and formed a human chain at the university's Shaheed Minar premises at 10:30am.

Kaniz Fatima, a student of CU, said, "I'm the daughter of a freedom fighter and I don't want quota in government jobs. I will let my merit speak for itself."

In Savar, hundreds of students of Jahangirnagar University blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway near the campus for 30 minutes from 3:45pm.

In Barishal, students of Brojomohun College, also known as BM College, blocked the Dhaka-Barisal highway in Nathullabad area for two hours from 11:30am.