On July 3, 2024, protestors occupied the Shahbagh intersection. Photo credit -PID

 
DHAKA, July 2, 2025 (BSS) - The anti-discrimination student movement demanding reinstatement of the 2018 circular scraping the quota system in government jobs got momentum on July 3, spreading to educational institutions across the country.
 
After the vacation of Eid-ul-Azha, the university campuses and other educational institutions across the country turned into protest grounds that eventually evolved into "July Uprising" countrywide spontaneously participated by student-mass people, ending the almost 16 years autocratic rule of Awami League.
 
In continuation with the movement, students of Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh staged a demonstration by blocking a railway track, disrupting train movement on July 3.
 
Jahangirnagar University students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway, Chattogram University students barricaded the Chattogram-Khagrachhari Highway and Barishal University students blocked the Barishal-Kuakata Highway as well.
 
On the day, the protestors laid a siege to capital's key Shahbagh intersection for around one and a half hours. At around 2.30pm, students gathered in front of the Dhaka University Central Library to press home their demands.
 
Students from Dhaka University, seven government colleges affiliated with DU and various institutions under the National University participated in the programme.
 
The protest march, organized under the 'Anti-Discrimination Student Movement', paraded through the DU campus and then passed Doel Chattar and the Supreme Court area before reaching Shahbagh by around 3.45pm.
 
The protestors then occupied the Shahbagh intersection and remained there until 5.12pm, obstructing vehicular movement.
 
During the blockade, they sang protest songs and chanted slogans such as: 'Quota Na Medha, Medha Medha', 'Quota Protha Nipat Jak, Medhabira Mukti Pak, 'Atharor Poripotro, Punorbohal Korte Hobe', 'Chhatra Somaj Gorbe Desh, Medha Bhittik Bangladesh', Amar Sonar Banglai, Boishommer Thie Nai', 'Apos na Songram, Songram Songram', High Court Na Rajpoth, Pajpoth Rajpoth and 'Dalali Na Rajpoth, Rajpoth Rajpoth'.
 
While blocking Shahbagh, Nahid Islam, a key coordinator of the movement, said they hoped the court verdict scheduled for the next day (July 4) regarding the cancellation of the quota abolition circular would favor the students.
 
He also announced that they would gather again at 11am the next day in front of the DU Central Library.
 
Besides, on July 3, students of Jagannath University blockaded the Tatibazar intersection in Puran Dhaka at around 3.30pm, chanting anti-quota slogans. They returned to campus after occupying the road for about an hour.
 
Students of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University also took to the streets, blocking the Agargaon-Khamarbari road. Before this, at around 12pm, they brought out a protest procession from in front of the central library, marching through various campus roads.
 
Their slogans included, 'Amar Desh, Amar Ma, Boishommyo Manina', Quota Boishommyo Dur Kor, Noile Buke Guli Kor' and Sara Bangla Khobor De, Quota Prothar Kobor De'.
 
That afternoon, Jahangirnagar University students again blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, demanding the cancellation of the quota system in government jobs and full implementation of the merit-based recruitment circular.
 
At around 3.15pm, they began their blockade in front of the university's main gate, causing a severe traffic jam on both sides of the highway. The blockade was lifted around 5 pm after about one and a half hours.
 
Students of Bangladesh Agricultural University blocked the railway line at Abdul Jabbar Square in Mymensingh, halting the Dhaka-bound Mohanagar Mahua commuter train for around an hour before ending the blockade at 2.20pm.
 
Earlier, students had gathered at the university's Muktomancha at noon and brought out a protest march.
 
At Barishal University, students staged a symbolic protest by wearing funeral shrouds (Kafon) and blocked the Barishal-Kuakata Highway around 11am, causing a massive traffic jam that lasted for about two hours.
 
Students of Chattogram University blocked the Chattogram-Khagrachhari Highway near Gate No. 1 from around 12.45pm to 1.30pm.
 
In Sylhet, students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) brought out an anti-quota procession at 11.30am from the university's main roundabout, parading through key campus roads before concluding the rally.
 
Meanwhile, students of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) organized a rally and brought out a procession demanding the formation of a commission to reform the quota system while retaining the 2018 circular.
 
Starting from the central library at 11am, the march passed the Dhaka-Kurigram Highway and ended with a rally at Gate No. 2 near Modern Square.