Press Statement

Quota Reform Movement: Immediately arrest the Chhatra League perpatrators; reform the quota!

Odhikar would like to express its immense concern and condemnation regarding the horrific attacks by the Chhatra League leaders have unleashed on students protesting for the reformation of the quota on government jobs, since 30 June 2018; along with the police barring protestors from holding protest programmes on this issue, the police picking up a protestor of the Movement and disappearing him for one day - before showing him as arrested; and arresting another protestor and taking him into remand. Even though such attacks are being carried out on students from Dhaka University and other universities, Odhikar condemns the fact that the perpatrators have not been brought to justice and the government chooses to remain silent regarding this matter. These attacks on the protestors by the Chhatra League leaders, have been perpetrated since 30 June 2018 and, till 2 July 2018, members of this group have attacked protestors protesting in Dhaka University, at the Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, as well as in the Rajshahi, Chittagong, Jahangirnagar universities and the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet. Attacks are carried out with sticks and rods, and have left many protesting students seriously injured. When the students sought help and shelter from a teacher, the Chhatra League leaders attacked that teacher as well. They even threatened to rape female student protestors and disappear the male ones.

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