Govt can change, reduce or increase the ratio if needed: HC

The High Court has released a partial verdict on the quota issue in government jobs. In some parts of the verdict, it has been said that the government can change the quota if necessary. And if no one is available in the quota or if the post is vacant, it can be filled from the general merit list.

Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat said in the judgment that 'This judgment will not create any bar upon the respondents if they change, reduce or increase the ratio or percentage of the quotas relating to the aforesaid criteria as and when necessary.'

Deputy attorney general Sheikh Mohammad (SK) Saifuzzaman Zaman confirmed the matter to the reporters.

"The respondents are at liberty to fill up the vacant post from the general merit list if any quota is not fulfilled in any public examination," the judgment added.

Notably, until 2018, 56 percent quota was prevalent in government jobs in Bangladesh. Of these, 30 percent quota for freedom fighters, 10 percent quota for women, 10 percent quota for residents of backward districts, 5 percent quota for people of small ethnic groups and 1 percent seats for people with disabilities were reserved.

In the same year, there were huge movemnets in different educational institutions of the country, including Dhaka University, demanding quota reform. The protesters demanded that the quota system be reduced from 56 percent to 10 percent. Later, on October 4 of that year, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular canceling the quota system.

Through this, the quota system that existed in the first and second class government jobs for 46 years was abolished. Later, in 2021, some freedom fighters' children filed a writ petition in the High Court challenging the part of the cancellation of freedom fighter quota in that circular. On June 5, 2024, that part of the circular was declared illegal.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has issued issued of one month on the High Court's verdict to reinstate quota system in first and second-class government jobs.

The full bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order on Wednesdeay (July 10).

As a result of this order, the circular issued by the government in 2018 canceling the freedom fighter quota will remain in force, the lawyers said.

According to lawyers present at the court, as a result of this order, the circular issued by the government in 2018 canceling the quota of freedom fighters remains in force.

The chief justice urged the students to return to the classroom. He said that those who are protesting, the matter is not worth appreciating. However, the verdict cannot be changed by street movement. We are also human beings, we are talking in different directions, but we have to solve the issue.

Earlier, Two students (July 9) on Tuesday filed a petition with the High Court seeking a stay on its decision to scrap the freedom fighter quota system in first and second-class government jobs.