The ruling Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, faced unexpected backlash from former leaders of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Wednesday morning.

The incident, which unfolded at the Awami League's central office on Bangabandhu Avenue, saw former student leaders express their frustration after they were not allowed to speak during a scheduled view exchange meeting.

The meeting had been organized to discuss the contentious issue of quota reform, a subject that has stirred significant debate and protest in recent times. 

The previous day, the Awami League had announced to the media that Quader would engage in discussions with former BCL leaders at 11 AM. 

The student leaders had also received invitations, creating an expectation of dialogue and consultation.

However, the situation took a turn when several hundred former BCL leaders, including Members of Parliament and former presidents and general secretaries of the organization, gathered in the conference room only to find Quader addressing the media directly, bypassing the promised discussion. 

Witnesses reported that the former student leaders, feeling sidelined and unheard, began to murmur amongst themselves, their discontent soon escalating into outright chaos.

"Why are you holding a press conference after calling us for a discussion?" some of the former leaders questioned Quader. 

"Why did you invite us if you won’t listen to us first? You should have listened to us, had a discussion, and then briefed the media. Instead, you started speaking to the journalists directly…"

In the heat of the moment, some former leaders resorted to chanting "fake, fake," directing their ire towards the party's general secretary. 

The scene underscored a growing frustration with Quader's tendency, as noted by several former BCL leaders, to deliver speeches without engaging in meaningful dialogue. 

This pattern had been observed in past meetings with Dhaka city units of the Awami League and other associated organizations, as well as in presidium committee meetings.

On this occasion, Quader attempted to silence the dissenters, but the commotion only grew. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he cut short his press briefing and left the meeting room. 

The tension persisted, with former BCL leaders continuing their chants on the ground floor and adjacent roads, prolonging the unrest for nearly an hour.

In a further display of their frustration, some former leaders exhibited discourteous behavior towards journalists covering the event.

Among the senior Awami League leaders present at the meeting were presidium members Abdur Razzaque, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, and Jahangir Kabir Nanak; joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim; organizing secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, Afzal Hossain, and Sujit Roy Nandi; and forest and environment affairs secretary Delwar Hossain.