Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader Monday called upon students to avoid any agitation programme which causes public sufferings.
“The quota system in government jobs is a subjudice matter. So, we have to wait until the final judgment of the court,” he said.
“We think that the highest court will deliver verdict considering the real situation,” he added.
Obaidul Quader said this while addressing a press conference at AL president’s political office in city’s Dhanmondi here.
Obaidul Quader said that the BNP and its allies have leaned on the anti-quota movement. They have openly supported it, which means they are also participating in it. So now, it has fallen into polarized politics.
He said: “BNP is trying to take advantage of this movement. They have extended their support which means joining the movement.”
Quader alleged that some political issues have been added to the movement.
PM Hasina rejects anti-quota demands, calls movement unjustified PM Hasina rejects anti-quota demands, calls movement unjustified
Obaidul Quader said that who is involved here, and whether it is part of any conspiracy, will be understood from the course of the movement.
“Over time, everything will become clear. Nothing can be hidden; we are monitoring it,” he added.
When asked why he criticizes political parties supporting any movement, he said: “Show me any country in the world where a political party gets involved in a movement against a court’s decision? This is under judicial review. No political party can engage in this way. This is a court’s verdict.”
He said programs like the anti-quota movement that causes public suffering should be avoided.
“The court scrapped the circular that abolished the quota system. The government has appealed against that decision. How can we interfere here? We say that any movement that causes public suffering should be avoided. Let the court’s verdict come, and then we will see,” Quader added.
Anti-quota protests: Is it an endless battle?Anti-quota protests: Is it an endless battle?
Regarding the quota movement, he said: “The decision they are protesting was made by the government. The government itself has appealed. It is not legal to discuss, criticize, or protest a matter that is under judicial consideration.”
In response to a question about the teachers’ movement regarding the universal pension scheme, he said: “Why would the scheme fail? There may be misunderstandings here. We are also in communication with them. Perhaps a formal meeting hasn’t happened yet. Decisions must be made based on realistic situations. We don’t want to get into the debate of whether the bureaucrat is superior or the teacher is superior. We want to do what is realistic based on respective ranks and positions.”
Awami League Joint General Secretaries Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif, AFM Bahauddin Nashim, Organising Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, SM Kamal Hossain, Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Biplab Barua, Science and Technology Affairs Secretary Abdus Sabur were present at the briefing among others.
