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By Global News Service
Amid widespread violence across the country over the controversial quota in government jobs, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court issued a crucial verdict on July 21, scaling back the quotas drastically.
According to the verdict, 93 percent of government jobs would be based on merit and the overall quota would be reduced to 7 percent from the current 56 percent. Descendants of “freedom fighters” who currently have 30 percent of posts reserved for them would now only get 5 percent reservation. The remaining 2 percent of reserved jobs would be allotted to candidates belonging to sexual and ethnic minorities in the country and people with disabilities.
According to various reports, around 140 people, including a large number of students, were killed in the violent clashes between security forces and students—who have been opposing the quota system—which took place during the third week of July. The protests were mostly peaceful until July 15 but turned violent after an alleged attack carried out by pro-government students, backed by the country’s security forces.
The ruling Awami League has, however, stated that the otherwise “legitimate protests” by students have been “hijacked” by the opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and some extremist groups in the country. It alleged that those opposition parties who could not win through elections have been looking for an opportunity to destabilize the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which won its fourth consecutive term in January 2024. BNP had boycotted the elections.
from the Peoples Dispatch / Globetrotter News Service
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