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No need to send BCL if the govt resolves quota reform
Afsan Chowdhury, Senior Journalist and Political Analyst : Quota reform is a very important issue, but it will take some time to implement it. If the government reveals how long it will take, they would not have to send the Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders and activists against the reformists. The government has reasoned that it is not possible to complete the reform in a few days, whether it is on an institutional level or any other. It is not even confirmed whether the decision to abolish quota was pending just because of public pressure. The government is under pressure from all over. So if one source of pressure weakens, it is expected that the government will take advantage.
I like to believe that as the prime minister gave her word, the reformation will definitely take place. But such a massive initiative takes time. If the government explained how long this will take, there would be no need for another protest, no clash with BCL. It seems beyond comprehension why the government is silent regarding this.
It doesn’t seem as if the government is worried about maintaining its image, because it has many ways – many ‘batons’ – to carry out its will; first of all, is the institutional ‘baton’; the government has power, the ‘baton’ of power; different organizations exist, their ‘batons’; the ‘batons’ of the political parties; the ‘batons’ of their own forces. Then comes the BCL’s ‘baton’, which was struck upon the quota reformists today (Sunday). The BCL do not even feel ashamed while attacking fellow students. Thus, there is no reason to believe that the government is at all worried about protecting its image – because they do not have to face any troubles!
The quota reform movement became widely popular because the middle-income populace was most affected. The government has forsaken the middle-income people because they hold no significant political power. Meanwhile, quota reformation has become a widely-debated issue as it has the support of the people. Hence, the government is irritated, but not annoyed.
Based on an interview by Ashiq Rahman, translated by Abrar Hussain