Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami are allegedly inciting the countrywide student protests demanding the cancelation of the quota system in public services.
They are trying to fish in troubled waters, said sources in intelligence agencies.
Law enforcement agencies have already warned the government high- ups of the ongoing deep-rooted conspiracy against the government.
Security analysists suspect that BNP-Jamaat cliques are trying to provoke the public university teachers to create instability in the educational institutions in the name of protests against newly introduced Universal Pension Scheme.
A senior officer of an intelligence agency on condition of anonymity said, the opposition parties are hatching conspiracy to take advantage of the growing protests against the quota system and universal pension scheme.
BNP-Jamaat leaders think that if they can intensify the movement where thousands of students and teachers are directly involved, campus will totally collapse.
At one stage, BNP-Jamaat will bring the guardians of the agitated students to the streets like the countrywide road safety movement, if the government takes any hardline stance against the student protests across the country.
Pro-BNP-Jamaat teachers of different public universities are allegedly provoking general students to turn the protest into a violent movement so that law enforcers are forced to take stern action against the protesters.
Sensing troubles, the government high-ups have asked police and ruling party men to remain calm and quiet despite increasing provocation from the protesters.
Ruling Awami League policymakers also ordered its student front to refrain themselves from any clash with student protesters.
About the ongoing protest at Dhaka University, Mazharul Kabir Shayon, president of the Dhaka University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) said, “You are all aware that Prime Minister in 2018 declared that everyone will get equal opportunity after abolishing the quota in government jobs.”
But the High court reinstated the quota. Students have taken to the streets. “So, we think this movement is not anti-government. Students are staging protests demanding the reinstatement of the previous declaration of the government,” he added.
l AL men asked to stay calm
l Ill-efforts on to turn campus violent
He also said, “Students have the right to stage protests. But BCL is not playing any role here. We are doing our daily activities. And those who want to take part in the movement, they can do it. We aren’t forcing anybody in this regard.”
Saddam Hossain, President of the BCL central committee, also acknowledged that DU BCL president’s position on the anti-quota movement.
Meanwhile, hundreds of students again blocked Shahbagh intersection in capital Dhaka on Saturday afternoon demanding the cancellation of the quota system.
They blocked Shahbagh intersection from about 4:15pm to 5:30pm which caused traffic congestion.
They announced a "Bangla Blockade" programme tomorrow (Sunday) from 3pm, which means they will block the roads in front of all educational institutions of Bangladesh during their movement.
Thousands of students from Rajshahi University, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, and Begum Rokeya University briefly blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi, Dhaka-Tangail, and Dhaka-Rangpur highways to protest the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs.
Students of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University also blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway to press home the same demand.
On the other hand, students from Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur blocked Dhaka-Rangpur highway's Modern crossing area, causing severe traffic disruption.
Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said he believed that BNP will now resort to the quota movement.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said their party morally supports the ongoing movements by public university teachers and students based on 'justified' demands.
Speaking at a press conference, he dismissed allegations from ruling party leaders that BNP is inciting the teachers' protest against the new universal pension scheme "Prottoy" and the students' agitation protesting the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs.
"What they (AL leaders) are saying is illogical. There is no question that BNP is inciting the movement and depending on the protestors," Fakhrul said.
The students’ protests intensified on Thursday as the Appellate Division refused to stay the High Court verdict that asked the government on June 5 to restore the 30 per cent quota for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters while recruiting cadre and non-cadre officers in the civil service.
On October 4, 2018, the government issued a circular abolishing all the 56 per cent quotas in the public service in the wake of fierce street protests by public university students and job seekers, demanding reforms to the quota system introduced in 1972.
Before the abolition, nearly 56 per cent of all government jobs were reserved for candidates under various quotas—30 per cent for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren, 10 per cent for women, 10 per cent for people from underdeveloped districts, 5 per cent for national minority communities and 1 per cent for physically challenged people.
Meanwhile, teachers and employees are observing an indefinite strike since July 1 in most of the public universities in the country demanding the reinstatement of the previous pension facilities.
