Amid the raging protests in Bangladesh over the quota system issue, the country’s Supreme Court on July 21 gave a landmark decision.
The apex court scrapped most of the quotas on Government jobs that have sparked student-led protests in which at least 133 people have been killed in the country.
The court’s Appellate Division dismissed the high court’s order that had reinstated the quotas, directing that 93 per cent of Government jobs will be open to candidates on merit, without quotas, said a report.
The court in its ruling said that almost all Government jobs must be offered on merit. The Supreme Court in its verdict ordered 93 per cent of the government jobs to be allocated on a merit-based system, leaving the remaining 7 per cent for relatives of veterans who fought in the country’s war of independence in 1971 and other categories. Earlier, the system reserved 30 per cent of such jobs to the relatives of war veterans.
The Supreme Court said the High Court’s decision was illegal, and informed Attorney General AM Amid Uddin. He also said that other than the 5 per cent job reserved for the children of veterans, 2 per cent seats in the government jobs will be reserved for other categories.
The decision comes after weeks of demonstrations – mostly led by students – that turned deadly recently after protesters began clashing with police. The police fired tear gas and rubber bullets and hurled smoke grenades to scatter stone-throwing protesters who filled the streets and university campuses.
The unrest compelled Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Government to impose a curfew across the nation, and the army was deployed with a “shoot-on-sight” order.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has supported the protests, mulling to organise its own demonstrations as many of its supporters have joined the student-led protests. However, BNP said in a release that its members were not part of the violence and denied the ruling party’s accusations of using the protests for political mileage The Awami League and the BNP have often accused each other of fueling political chaos and violence, most recently ahead of the country’s nation.
The quotas reduced the number of Government jobs open for all, hurting aspirants who wanted them filled on the basis of merit.
Meanwhile, in the past two days, a total of 379 students, including three from Nepal, have crossed the border from Bangladesh into India through integrated check posts located in Tripura.
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