Press Release
Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement: Call to Remove the Kufr Democratic System which gave Birth to the Discriminatory Quota System

Bangladesh is seeing mounting discontent across the country in the face of the nefarious acts of state-sponsored terrorism to suppress the popular quota reform movement being organized by the disgruntled job seekers and students of different universities and colleges under the coalition Chhatra Odhikar Songrokkhon Parishad (Council of Organizations for the Protection of Student Rights). In last April, after seeing the surge in popularity of this movement amid severe police violence in the form of using tear gas, water cannons and baton charge on the protesters, the Awami League (AL) government played the appeasement game by falsely promising to accept their demands. But, since then, the disgusting ‘Chanakya Niti’ of the ruling party became apparent as it was doing nothing to implement the earlier promise, but rather came up with the wicked idea to not let the movement get heightened in future by using its thuggish student wing – the Chatra League. Thus when the second wave of the protests started from June 30, 2018, Chatra League has been acting as a brutal force to dismantle all kinds of quota reform protests across the country. On the one hand, Chatra League, in front of police inaction, has been attacking and beating the protestors across the country so that they cannot gather in any place to initiate any movements; on the other hand, the police have been abducting and arresting all the key organizers of the movement – a phenomenal exhibition of secular totalitarianism and hegemony in the democratic system.

It is easily understandable why the AL government is so adamant against the quota reformation and taking a stance against the people before the looming election. They very well know that being a political party that is detached from people, they need to invest heavily in their muscle power, i.e. their political cadres, to hold onto power, and the existing quota system is indeed a great source of ‘dirty money’ for them, and a way to put their cadres in government positions. As of now, the AL government has issued around 250,000 documents certifying the bearers as freedom fighters where many of the certificates have been processed by the AL leaders through bribery and forgeries (“Making Merit”, The Economist, April 21, 2018). Then again, special public posts are being bought through the same party leaders by means of underhand dealings. Hence, the frustration of our youths is legitimate since a large 56% of all public posts are being filled by political favoritism and patronage. On top of that, instead of doing something effective to stop the rapid increase in the number of educated unemployed, let alone creating 2 million new jobs every year as promised, this tyrannical regime has resorted to violence as they do not care about the aspirations of the Ummah.

O Brave Agitated Students! It is this corrupted Kufr democratic system which has given birth to the discriminatory quota system. Because, this system does not  oblige the rulers to guarantee the basic needs of the people, but rather, as they continuously violate the fundamental rights of the people for their base political interests and for the vested interested groups, to continue in their corruption and to keep control over the people they set up discriminatory systems like the quota system. So, keeping the secular democratic system in place, and exhausting all your efforts and energy against only the quota system will not solve your economic dilemma for good. Like this discriminatory quota system, there are hundreds of other issues surfacing which are making the lives of our youths miserable. These issues are merely symptoms of the main problem, whereas the current democratic political system is the root of all your sufferings. Remember! Only the political system of the Khilafah (Caliphate) can bring economic security and prosperity in your lives. In the Khilafah system, it is a fard (obligation) on the Khalifah (Caliph) to secure the fundamental rights of every citizen, whatever the religion, race, class, or merits of the person. So, the Khilafah system does not have to rely on any quota system, and as a result there is no discrimination in society for getting employment or other social benefits.

O brave agitated youths! As the imminent second Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly-guided Caliphate) will challenge the Kafir Imperialists and their regional allies, she will require a pool of talented, efficient and capable civil admin officers who can act as the backbone of the newly formed state. And how great it would be to be a part of that mighty Khilafah that can bring dignity and salvation in this life and hereafter! So, we, from Hizb ut Tahrir, urge you not to confine yourself to protesting the quota system only, but rather to dedicate yourselves in the work re-establish the Khilafah by removing the Kufr democratic system that is causing wide-spread economic and social disparity and the AL-BNP regimes that are the standard bearers of this corrupt system.

(يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُم لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ)

“O you who believe, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life...” [Surat al-Anfal: 24]

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah Bangladesh