Bangladesh Quota Protest: PM Hasina’s ‘disparaging’ comment ignites protests across campuses

DHAKA – Hundreds of students from several public universities, including Dhaka University, took to the streets around midnight to protest what they said was a “disparaging comment” by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier in the evening.

The protesters, who have been staging demonstrations across the country demanding reformation of the quota system for the last two weeks, brought out the processions on their respective campuses around 11:00pm.

As of now, students from Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University, Rajshahi University, Chittagong University, Comilla University, Jessore University of Science and Technology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, and Barishal University have held separate processions.

Protests at Jahangirnagar University. PHOTO: COLLECTED/DAILY STAR

They were shouting slogans such as “Who are you, who am I? Razakar, Razakar,” “Medhabi na Razakar, Razakar, Razakar”.

Several hundred students of Rajshahi University went out of the campus with a procession and blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway after 12:15am today.

Meanwhile around 11:40pm, hundreds of protesters were seen shouting slogans inside the Jagannath University.

Students of Chittagong University also took to the campus with slogans — “Tui Razakar, Tui Razakar”.

Protests at Dhaka-Rajshahi Highway. PHOTO: COLLECTED/DAILY STAR

However, around 1:45am today, at the time of filing this report, most of the students were wrapping up their demonstrations.

The protest comes hours after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s press conference at Gono Bhaban yesterday.

In response to a journalist’s question, Hasina said, “Why is there so much resentment against the Liberation War and the freedom fighters? If the grandchildren of the freedom fighters don’t get quotas, then should the grandchildren of razakars [Pakistani collaborators] get quotas? That is my question.”