Faridpur students announce withdrawal of quota reform movement amid DB presence

A few participants of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Faridpur, identifying as students of Faridpur Polytechnique Institute and Faridpur High School, announced the withdrawal of their programme in Faridpur during a press conference on Monday noon, attended by Detective Branch (DB) Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Matin.

They made the announcement under the banner of the ‘Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Faridpur, at Faridpur Press club.

However, key student leaders who have been at the forefront of the movement said that their coordinators are currently in jail, and no one else has the authority to declare the withdrawal.

Witnesses said that alongside DB OC Abdul Matin, District Police Special Branch Inspector Mohammad Abu Naim and other officials were present during the conference.

Several leaders and activists of the District Chhatra League were also seen outside the press club, they added.

When asked about his presence, DB OC Abdul Matin was quoted by Prothom Alo as saying: "I just went to meet the journalists at the press club. It had been a long time since I met them. There was a press conference happening, so I listened to what was being said. Besides, there was no other reason."

Arman Shikdar, identifying himself as a sixth-semester student of Faridpur Polytechnic Institute, read out the written statement at the press conference, announcing the withdrawal of the movement programme.

In the statement, he argued that they were withdrawing the programme under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement as the government had fulfilled their reasonable demands.

The statement also called on the government to reopen educational institutions and thanked the government and Prime Minister for reforms in government job quotas.

Riyad Molla and Rabiul Islam, identifying themselves as students of Faridpur High School, were also present.

However, Abrar Nadim, an active participant in the movement, was quoted as saying by the Bangla-language daily: "We have not withdrawn our programmes. Our two coordinators, Shah Md Arafat and Jony Biswas, are in jail.

“Our nine-point demand has not been fulfilled. The movement cannot be withdrawn until our demands are met."