No initiative to streamline the quota system in government jobs is in sight after the 2024 changes that abolished women and district quotas, frustrating different sections of people.
The Awami League regime before being ousted in a mass uprising made the 2024 changes by lowering the percentage of quota in government jobs from 56 per cent to 7 per cent and abolishing quota for women and district-wise quota on the basis of a court order amid a student-led movement in July-August past year.
The 2024 quota reform movement started after on June 5, 2024 the High Court had asked the government to restore the 30 per cent quota for children and grandchildren of the freedom fighters in government jobs.
Students across the country started demonstrations demanding the cancellation of the High Court order and later the quota reform movement turned into a mass uprising that overthrew the authoritarian Awami League regime on August 5, 2024.
Earlier in 2018, following quota reform protests, the then government of Sheikh Hasina had ordered scrapping of the quota system.
After the 2024 changes, protests were held demanding the restoration of women quota and increased quota for the national minorities.
Leaders of the then Students Against Discrimination, which spearheaded the July uprising, said that they had to discuss the existing quota system as the issue remained ignored after the political changeover.
They said that aggrieved quarters could file writ with court against the existing quota system.
鈥楾he quota reform issue has remained ignored amid a flurry of other issues after the political changeover,鈥� said Hasnat Abdullah, a former Students Against Discrimination coordinator, in reply to a question what their current stance was on the existing 7 per cent quota in government jobs.
Hasnat, who is now National Citizen Party chief organiser for South, told 抖阴精品 on May 8 that they would discuss the matter of existing quota system to find whether it still remained discriminatory.
鈥榃e need to discuss the matter first before making any comment on the issue,鈥� Hasnat said, replying to a question whether he thinks the 7 per cent quota is causing discrimination to anyone.
Umama Fatema, a prominent July uprising leader, said that they did not think about the 7 per cent quota separately then as the movement later had turned into a bigger movement in which many people lost their lives.
鈥業f anyone or any organisation like women rights organisation feels aggrieved, they can file writ with court against the 7 per cent quota in government jobs,鈥� she said.
On January 30, the advisory council of the interim government that took office after the ouster of the Awami League regime decided to review the application of the quota system in government jobs and admissions to educational institutions.
Decision was also made that the public administration ministry would submit a summary with opinions and recommendations on the application of the quota system in government job recruitments.
Following the decision, the public administration ministry formed a committee to submit its recommendations within 30 working days.
The committee is yet to submit its report.
The head of the committee was the ministry鈥檚 rules division additional secretary, AMN Moinul Islam, who has recently been transferred to another ministry, said the ministry officials.
Rules division鈥檚 current in-charge joint secretary Mohammad Shamim Sohel said that the committee was formed to find out the issues like how the 7 per cent quota would be implemented and who would provide the certification.
He mentioned that a meeting was held while one to two more meetings would be needed before the submission of the recommendations.
The authorities could reform the committee as its head has been transferred, he said.
In different government job circulars in recent time, it was mentioned that as far as the quota was concerned, the latest government decision on the issue would be followed.
On April 24, the Centre for Medical Education issued a recruitment circular for different positions.
It said that in the case of quota, the latest government decision would be followed.
Replying to a question whether the July victims should be entitled for quota facility in government jobs, Hasnat Abdullah said that they did not want any new discrimination by securing quota for any other people.
鈥業t was announced that they [July victims] will get different government facilities,鈥� he added.
Umama Fatema said that they had already said that instead of quota facility, the July victims needed rehabilitation.
Amid the quota reform movement, the Supreme Court on July 21, 2024, issued a ruling.
As per the ruling, 93 per cent of government, semi-government, and autonomous institution jobs is filled based on merit, while the remaining 7 per cent is filled through a quota system.
Of the 7 per cent, 5 per cent is reserved for the children of freedom fighters, martyrs and Biranganas, 1 per cent for national minorities and 1 per cent for people with disabilities and transgender people.
On October 4, 2018, the Cabinet Division had issued a circular abolishing all quotas in the public service jobs in the wake of street protests by the public university students and jobseekers, demanding reforms to the quota system introduced in 1972.
Until the abolition, nearly 56 per cent of government jobs were reserved for candidates from various quotas 鈥�30 per cent for freedom fighters鈥� children and grandchildren, 10 per cent for women, 10 per cent for people of underdeveloped districts, 5 per cent for members of national minorities, and 1 per cent for physically challenged people.
On November 5, 1972, the then government through an executive order had introduced 30 per cent quota for freedom fighters and 10 per cent for women in the jobs at the government, semi-government, defence and nationalised institutions.
