Dhaka, August 4 — The High Court has dismissed a writ petition seeking an order to prevent law enforcement from firing on agitators and to release six coordinators of the anti-quota movement from Detective Branch (DB) custody. The decision was delivered on Sunday by a High Court bench comprising Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolan.

The hearing and order for the writ were initially scheduled for the previous Thursday but were postponed due to the junior judge, Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolan, being on leave. Similarly, the writ hearing did not occur last Wednesday as Justice Dolan was absent due to illness.

The petition, filed by Supreme Court lawyers Manzoor Al Mateen Peetam and Ainunnahar Siddiqa, sought directives against firing on protestors and demanded the release of the detained coordinators of the anti-quota movement. The petition named the Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police, and Chief of Army Staff, among others, as respondents.

The court's decision marks a significant development in the ongoing legal and political discourse surrounding the anti-quota movement, which has seen widespread unrest and calls for systemic reforms in government employment quotas. The dismissal of the writ means that the previous status quo regarding the handling of the protests and the detentions will remain in place.