BANGLADESH
The Government of Bangladesh has announced that the decades-old quota system for entry into the county’s Public Service will be abolished.
Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina announced the decision in Parliament, in the wake of massive protests by students who claim the quotas — which cover 56 per cent of all Public Service places in the annual examinations — are outdated and unfair.
Ms Hasina told lawmakers there was no longer any need for quotas, and the system would be scrapped because the students did not want it.
The major complaint of the protesters was the 30 per cent of places allocated to descendants of freedom fighters in the 1971 war of independence.
In recent years, this substantial quota has never been filled and places have remained vacant.
Ms Hasina’s announcement has not pleased everyone, however, with student leader Rashed Khan saying their demand was for “quota reform, not abolishment”.
The students’ demands have included bringing down the reserved seats from 56 per cent to 10 per cent, filling vacant posts under quotas from the merit list, stopping special recruitment under certain quotas, introducing a uniform age limit in Government jobs and the transfer of jobs under quotas to a different candidate only on the basis of merit.
Quotas still have supporters in the Government, with Minister for Agriculture, Matia Chowdhury saying successors of those who risked their lives to fight for independence should be given priority over those of “Razakars” — interpreted to mean collaborationists with the Pakistani occupation forces during the 1971 war.
Dhaka, 13 April 2018
