Dhaka: Hundreds of job seekers staged demonstrations at Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka on Sunday morning demanding that the quota system in government jobs be reformed.

The job seekers from different colleges in the city and Dhaka University, under separate banners, including General Students’ Rights Protection Mancha (Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Sangrokkon Mancha), Titumir College Students (Titumir College Chhatrabrindo) took position on the road stretching from Shahbagh intersection to TSC of Dhaka University at 10:20am.

They were chanting slogans placing their five-point demand that include introduction of unified age limit in government jobs, review of quota system in government recruitment process, including Bangladesh Civil Services (BCS) examination, filling vacant posts from merit list if the candidates from quota are not found and fixation of 10 percent quota instead of existing 56 per cent.

Al Amin Niloy, a Master’s degree student of Dhaka University’s History department, said their programme is neither against quota system nor against the government.

‘We’re actually demanding reform of the quota system in government jobs.’

Huge law enforcers were deployed in the area as the demonstration was going on.

Deputy Commissioner of Ramma Zone Maruf Hossain Sarker said, ‘We’ve requested the protesters to move towards Shaheed Minar to keep the area—from Shahbagh to TSC—free from gatherings.’ Meanwhile, the demonstrators started leaving the Shahbagh area.