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Several political parties on Monday condemned attacks on quota protesters allegedly by the ruling Awami League-backed student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League at several universities across the country, including Dhaka University.

Bazlur Rashid Firoz, general secretary of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, in a statement protested against the series of attacks on quota protesters allegedly by the BCL. 

He demanded arrest of the attackers and a logical reform of the quota system in government jobs.

The statement read that the police and the BCL were preparing for attacks after comments made by prime minister Sheikh Hasina during a press conference at her official residence, Ganabhaban, where she responded to questions regarding the anti-quota protests on Sunday.

At the conference, she questioned, ‘Why is there so much anger against the War of Independence and freedom fighters? Will the grandchildren of freedom fighters not receive quotas? Will Razakars’ grandchildren get them? My question is to the people of the country.’ 

‘The attacks, which resulted in about 200 students being injured, prove that the attacks were pre-planned,’ the statement read.       

In another statement, protesting against the attacks, Ganasamhati Andolan denounced the government’s deployment of, ‘the helmet army of the Chhatra League’ to quell the students’ fair movement.’

The statement accused the police and the BCL of launching joint attacks on the protesting students, resulting in injuries to several members of the Bangladesh Chhatra Federation who were admitted to various hospitals. 

The statement strongly condemned derogatory remarks aimed at the student movement and even at the teachers’ protests against the cancellation of the new universal pension scheme by the prime minister. 

The National Democratic Front also condemned the attacks and called for meeting the demands of the quota protesters. 

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, called for the withdrawal of the PM’s remarks that referred to the ‘protesting patriotic students, who are against discrimination, as Razakars during the conference. 

The statement reads that during the press conference, the PM acknowledged that she cancelled the quota system ‘being disgusted’ in 2018, which is in a sense ‘acknowledging breaking the oath of PM’s position’.

Thousands of university students across the country took to the streets on Sunday night, primarily on their campuses, in protest at remarks made by the prime minister.