The ruling Awami League has expressed its desire for the ongoing student movement demanding the cancellation of the quota system in government jobs to be resolved through a court verdict.

"We must wait for the final judgment of the court as it is a sub-judice matter. We believe the highest court will deliver a verdict that considers the real situation," stated Obaidul Quader, spokesperson and General Secretary of the Awami League, at a press conference held at the party president’s political office in Dhanmondi on Monday.

Quader urged university students, who have been protesting for the past week, to refrain from agitation programs that disrupt public order.

He emphasized that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already addressed the quota system and pension scheme in government jobs.

In 2018, the government abolished all quotas in public service. However, the High Court later reinstated the system in response to an appeal by the children of seven Freedom Fighters, a group that has historically benefited from these quotas.

Quader raised concerns about the intermingling of political agendas with the students' movement, observing that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had expressed solidarity with the protests and was actively involved in the agitation.

Emphasizing the significance of meritocracy in advancing Bangladesh's prosperity, Quader remarked, "Individuals of merit are pivotal to the Prime Minister's endeavor to build a technologically advanced Bangladesh.

To realize our vision of nurturing a knowledgeable, capable, and innovative generation, we require the brightest young minds."

Following the press conference, Quader convened a meeting with four cabinet ministers to discuss the ongoing situation.

The meeting, which lasted for about thirty minutes, included Law Minister Anisul Huq, Education Minister Muhibul Hassan Chowdhoury, Information and Broadcast Minister Mohammad A. Arafat, and State Minister for Education Shamsunnahar.

A source in the Awami League believes that the ministers discussed the ongoing anti-quota movement and the movement of the university teachers against the "prottoy" pension scheme.

However, the ministers did not speak to newspersons after the meeting.

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