A rational reform of the quota system in government jobs has remained unresolved even after a year of the anti-quota movement under the Students Against Discrimination platform in July-August 2024 that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime.
The student leaders of the movement urged the interim government, installed on August 8, 2024, to review the quota to reduce discrimination.
The government, following an advisory council decision on January 30, formed a public administration ministry committee to review the quota system for government jobs and admissions to educational institutions. The committee is yet to submit its recommendations.
The head of the committee and the ministry鈥檚 rules division鈥檚 current in-charge Mohammad Shamim Sohel told 抖阴精品 on Sunday that the committee would find out how the 7 per cent quota would be implemented and who would provide the certification.
The committee held some meetings and more time will be needed for the submission of the summary, he added.
Currently, the government is providing 7 per cent quota in government jobs. The government also published circulars for recruitment in jobs amid criticism for no quota for women and fewer quotas for disadvantaged communities.
The Awami League regime, before being ousted amid a mass uprising, made the 2024 changes by lowering the percentage of quota in government jobs from 56 per cent to 7 per cent. It abolished the quota for women and district-based quota following a court order amid the July mass uprising in 2024.
Of the existing 7 per cent quota, 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.
In different circulars for recruitment in government jobs in the past one year, it was mentioned that the latest government decision on quota would be followed.
The 2024 quota reform movement started after the June 5, 2024 High Court directive asking the then regime to restore the 30 per cent quota for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters in government jobs.
Students across the country then started demonstrations demanding the cancellation of the High Court order.
Amid the countrywide protests, the Appellate Division on July 21, 2024 scrapped the High Court verdict on quota in government jobs and ordered a 7 per cent quota.
Two days later, the public administration ministry on July 23, 2024 issued a gazette notification to implement the Appellate Division verdict.
The government initiative failed to calm the quota reform movement and the movement turned into a mass uprising that overthrew the authoritarian Awami League regime on August 5, 2024.
After the changes in the job quota system on July 23, 2024, protests were held demanding the restoration of women鈥檚 quota and increased quota for national minorities.
Abu Baker Majumder, the convener of Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, a newly launched student organisation, said that they wanted reform in the existing quota system by including quota for women from disadvantaged groups and increasing quota for national minorities based on their number.
He said that they wanted 3 or 4 per cent quota for women from different disadvantaged communities.聽
He said that they, on different occasions, urged the government to review the existing quota shares but got no response.
He said that the government should rehabilitate the families of the martyrs and injured ones of the July-August uprising instead of bringing them under the quota system.
National Citizen Party education and research secretary Foysal Mahmud Shanto said that the party believed that it was not rational to abolish the quota system in government jobs in Bangladesh.
鈥業n Bangladesh, 7 to 10 per cent quota can be allowed in government jobs,鈥� he said.
He said that the government should revise the existing quota system by discussing it with all stakeholders.
鈥楢s far as I know, the public administration ministry committee did not communicate with us or any other stakeholder,鈥� Foysal Mahmud said.
He said that the government should rehabilitate the families of the martyrs and injured in the July-August uprising. 鈥楾hey should not be included in the quota system.鈥�
Since August 2024, different government job circulars have been issued.
On November 17, 2024, the public administration ministry issued a job circular to recruit against 530 revenue sector positions for the Government Transport Pool directly on a temporary basis. The recruitment will be completed within a month, said the ministry officials.
On February 13 this year, the Bangladesh Public Service Commission published a recruitment advertisement calling for applications against 1,720 (non-cadre) positions under 16 ministries.聽
Officials of the ministries of education, primary and mass education, health and family planning and home affairs said that, since August 5, 2024, the ministries and different departments under them issued some recruitment advertisements while some officials and employees were also recruited under earlier job circulars.
The BPSC on May 29 this year published a notice for applications for the 48th (Special) Bangladesh Civil Service examinations.
The notice for applications for the 47th BCS exams was published in November 2024.
No recruitment under any BCS examinations was held in the past one year.
On October 4, 2018, the Cabinet Division issued a circular abolishing all quotas in public service jobs in the wake of street protests by public university students and jobseekers, demanding reforms to the quota system introduced in 1972.
Until the abolition, 30 per cent of government jobs were reserved 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, introduced 30 per cent quota for freedom fighters and 10 per cent for women in government jobs.
