Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal on Thursday extended its full support to the ongoing movement of general students demanding reform in the existing quota system for government jobs.
鈥榃e gave moral support to the quota reform movement waged by the general students in 2018. We are supporting the movement that is happening now,鈥� said the JCD general secretary Nasiruddin Nasir.
Speaking at a press conference at the BNP鈥檚 Nayapaltan central office, he also said the JCD believes there should be a final settlement on the issue of quota reform through a democratic movement that the general students are now carrying out.
鈥極ur statement on behalf of the JCD is that there is no need for any quota in Bangladesh at this moment except for a very limited number of quotas for people with special needs. This is our official statement. Chhatra Dal extends its full support to the ongoing democratic movement of ordinary students,鈥� Nasir said.
He also said they hope that the ongoing movement of the ordinary students will be successful by resisting the cadres of Chhatra League and Jubo League.
Nasir recalled that the general students waged the movement in 2018 demanding reform in the quota system, not demanding the abolishment of quotas in government jobs.
鈥楤ut the illegal prime minister deliberately cancelled the quota as an administrative decision without reforming it,鈥� he observed.
He alleged that the government has provided 12,000-13,000 ruling party leaders and workers at different levels with fake certificates of freedom fighters over the last 10 to 12 years.
Nasir said the move was taken to reinstate the quota system by using the judiciary for the benefit of fake freedom fighters.
The JCD president Rakibul Islam Rakib said, 鈥榃e congratulate those who are on the anti-quota movement. At the same time, we also urge you to raise your voices against the culture of enforced disappearances and murders this fascist and illegal regime has introduced.鈥�
He also called upon the general students to speak out against India鈥檚 interference in Bangladesh and in favour of the movement to restore democracy.
鈥業 am telling all the leaders of Dhaka College who are leading the anti-quota movement that your college classmate Atiqur Rahman Russell has been subjected to enforced disappearance. We expect that you will also demand his whereabouts,鈥� Rakib said.
The JCD arranged the press conference at BNP鈥檚 Nayapaltan central office seeking the whereabouts of its Dhaka College unit vice president Atiqur Rahman Russell.
The JCD central leaders alleged that Russell has remained missing since he was picked up by plainclothes police in the capital's Azimpur area on July 1.
Speaking at the programme, BNP student affairs secretary Rakibul Islam Bakul mentioned that Russell has been missing for 12 days. 鈥榃e are deeply worried and anxious. Russell鈥檚 family is also going through a very difficult time.鈥�
He alleged that the administration and law enforcement agencies have remained silent regarding Russell鈥檚 disappearance.
Bakul warned that they will announce nationwide action programmes within the next two days if Russell is not returned to his family without delay.
Russell鈥檚 father, Abul Hossain Sarder, also spoke at the press conference, demanding the safe return of his beloved son.
鈥業 have been very sick for 11 days as I can鈥檛 eat or drink. I have two sons, one lives abroad and another stays in Dhaka for studies. But we now don't know his whereabouts. His mobile phone is switched off. I filed a GD on June 2 at Lalbagh Police Station.... but there's still no trace of him. We approached higher levels of the police, but there are no results,鈥� he said in an emotional voice.
Sarder mentioned that Russell went missing 11 days ago in Azimpur area of the capital.