Dhaka: Awami League joint general secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak has said the process to issue a gazette notification on abolishing the quota system in government jobs would be initiated 'shortly' after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's return from abroad.

The assurance came after a 15-member team of Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council met Awami League leader Jahangir Kabir Nanak at his NAM flat on Manik Mia Avenue on Friday night.

Nurul Haque Nur, joint convener of the platform, said, ‘As the prime minister is now abroad, we've given the government until May 7 to issue a notification cancelling the quota system.’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is now in Australia and will return home on April 30.

‘Awami League joint general secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak has assured us of issuing the notification within the stipulated time,’ Nur said.

At the meeting, the student leaders pointed out their demands, including the issuance of an immediate notification over the quota abolition, withdrawal of cases filed against general students and taking the responsibility of treatment of the injured students, he added.

Earlier around 8pm, representatives of the protesters were invited to sit with Jahangir Kabir Nanak at NAM Bhaban to discuss the issue.

On February 17, students and jobseekers started the movement to press for their five-point demand that include introduction of a unified age limit in government jobs, the review of the quota system in government recruitment process, including Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination, stopping taking benefit by jobseekers under the same quota, filling vacant posts from merit list if the candidates from quota are not found and fixation of 10 percent quota instead of the existing 56 percent.