l 5% for FFs’ children
l No quota for their grandchildren
l No quota for women, districts
l 1% for minor ethnic community
l 1% for physically/mentally
challenged, third-gender
The government on Tuesday issued the circular to deal with the exigency according to the verdict delivered by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday on quota in government jobs.
As per the circular, in almost all jobs (from 9th to 20th grades) in government, semi-government and autonomous organisations, 93% recruitment will be carried out on merit while 5% quota instead of 30%, for the children of freedom fighters, 1% for the people from the minority ethnic communities and the rest 1% for the mentally or physically challenged people including the people of third gender, have been fixed.
According to the notification, there is no quota reserved for the grandchildren of the FFs, women and
districts. Although the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in its verdict mentioned that the government, if it wants, can cancel the entire quota system or reform it in future or make changes in the quota system, the government did not do anything.
The government, on the other hand, issued the circular keeping the court verdict intact.
The Ministry of Public Administration at a press conference informed the media about the circular.
Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, Law Minister Anisul Huq, Education Minister Muhibul Huq Chowdhury, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, among others, were present at the conference.
According to sources, the Ministry of Public Administration on Monday afternoon sent a proposal for notification to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regarding the quota system in the recruitment for government jobs.
The Prime Minister gave approval to the proposal without making any change in the proposal.
Earlier on Sunday, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) in a historic verdict on the quota system in the government jobs has cancelled a High Court (HC) division judgment given in 2018 which had reinstated quota system in all government, semi-government and autonomous organisations.
The seven-member bench of the apex court led by the Chief Justice delivered the verdict following a leave to appeal petition filed on July 16 with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court by the government challenging the High Court judgment of 2018.
The Supreme Court in its verdict has asked the government to keep 93% as the general quota on the basis of merit while 5% quota, instead of 30%, for the children of the Freedom Fighters, 1% for the people from the minority ethnic communities and the rest 1% for the mentally or physically challenged people including the people of third gender.
The verdict also reads that if the number of FFs’ children, ethnic community people, physically/mentally challenged people and third genders people are found to be inadequate, the vacuum would be fulfilled by adding the aspirants from the general merit list.
Earlier, there had been around 56% of the government jobs reserved for different quarters, including 30% for the Freedom Fighters, their children and grand-children in 9th grade to 13th grade.
Accordingly, more than 70% quota had been reserved in the railway sector job and around 90% jobs in the primary school jobs.
The SC in its verdict had asked the government to issue gazette notification as soon as possible.
In its verdict, the Appellate Division said that with the verdict, the demand of the protesters, who had been staging demonstrations demanding reform in the quota system in the government jobs, have been fulfilled.
The Chief Justice has urged the students to return to their classes following the latest decisions.
The SC also urged the guardians of the protesting students to convince their children so that they go back to classrooms.
It should be mentioned that the attorney general's office had submitted the petition to the apex court seeking a "leave" to scrap the HC verdict following a strong movement launched by the students and job-seekers.
Earlier following a writ petition, the High Court on June 5 this year had declared illegal the circular, issued by the public administration ministry on October 4, 2018, which cancelled the quota system in government jobs.
The circular said in the case of direct recruitment to the posts of 9th grade (formerly class-1) and 10th to 13th grades (formerly class-2), the appointments should be based on merit.
The HC in the full text of the judgment, which was released on July 13, had also directed the government to restore and maintain the quotas for "districts, women, physically challenged people, tribes, minor races, and ethnic groups and others, if any," and to publish a notification in this regard as soon as possible preferably within three months from the date of receipt of this order.
The HC, however, said the government can change, reduce or increase the ratio or percentage of the quotas in public jobs, if necessary, and can fill the vacant posts from the general merit list if any quota in government recruitment is not fulfilled.
Protesting the HC judgement on June 5, students staged demonstrations at different educational institutions, including Dhaka University.
Students intensified their protests across the country since July 4 as the Appellate Division did not stay the HC verdict following a government petition.
The protesters had been carrying out demonstrations, demanding reforms of the quota system through the formulation of a law.
Amid the situation, the government and two Dhaka University students moved two petitions before the Appellate Division seeking a stay on the HC verdict.
Following their petitions, the Appellate Division on July 10 directed the parties to maintain the status quo regarding the subject matter of the case till the filing of civil petitions for leave to appeal.
