The protest by job-seeking graduates with disabilities entered its fifth day yesterday, as demonstrators clashed with police barricades near Shahbagh during a symbolic march toward the chief adviser’s residence.
Organized under the banner of Chakri Pratyashi Protibondhi Graduate Parishad, the group began their second march from Dhaka University’s Raju Memorial Sculpture around noon, carrying broken plates and bowls to symbolize unmet rights and government inaction on disability employment.
Police intercepted the procession at Shahbagh intersection, prompting a three-hour sit-in where protesters chanted slogans and reiterated their five-point demand charter.
Key demands include enforcement of disability employment quotas, reform of the scribe policy, and creation of inclusive job opportunities.
During the sit-in, organizers announced plans for a symbolic protest on Friday, at 3pm, where they intend to burn their government-issued “Golden Citizen Cards” — a move they say protests “empty recognition without real rights.”
The demonstrators later returned to the Raju Memorial Sculpture to continue their sit-in.
“We are graduates, not beggars — employment is our right, not a privilege,” said one protester.
Movement leaders condemned the police obstruction, calling it a reflection of systemic indifference.
“The broken plates in our hands represent broken promises,” said a spokesperson. “We’ve been ignored for too long — now the streets are our only platform.”
