The High Court has recently declared invalid the circular issued in 2018 canceling the quota in the first and second class government jobs. Six students of Dhaka University have given a memorandum to the Attorney General to take action on the part of the state against this verdict of maintaining the quota.
The six students submitted this memorandum to the Attorney General’s office on Sunday (June 9) afternoon on behalf of job-seeking students.
However, the state has appealed to the Appellate Division against the High Court’s verdict canceling the quota. The lawyer of the state side told the reporters that this application has been submitted to the relevant branch of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. A hearing is scheduled to be held in the Appellate Division Chamber Judge Court.
As you are aware, in 2018, in the wake of mass protests by students across the country, the quota system was abolished from government jobs (grades nine through thirteen), the students said in a memorandum to the attorney general. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself announced the abolition of quota in the national parliament. On October 4, 2018, a circular was issued by the Ministry of Public Administration announcing the cancellation of the quota system and merit-based recruitment from government jobs.
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It said that the quota reform was the life demand of students and job aspirants. The students wanted a logical reform of the quota by reconsidering the quota system in jobs to build a discrimination-free and merit-based Bangladesh. The government considered abolition of quotas in grades nine to thirteen as a solution on the whole. After the 2018 circular was issued, some government jobs exams were held without quota.
But on December 6, 2021, the High Court issued a ruling as to why this circular of the Ministry of Public Administration should not be declared out of legal authority in view of a writ. On June 5, the court announced the verdict as rule absolute. The High Court declared this circular invalid. As a result of which the quota is reinstated in the recruitment of jobs in the ninth to thirteenth grade.’
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- Appeal against judgment on restoration of quota in employment
In the memorandum, the students also said, we think that the high court’s verdict did not reflect the aspirations of the students of Bangladesh. The return of quota means a farce of the state with the demands and movements of millions of youth in the country. There is no alternative to merit-based recruitment to make equality, humanize and build an efficient administration the motto of the liberation war.
They said, in this situation, I expect your role to take appropriate steps to apply for a stay (stay) of this order/judgment of the High Court very quickly in the Chamber Judge Court of the Supreme Court to keep the provisions of equality of opportunity mentioned in the Constitution effective. The state side should take initiative to annul this judgment by taking all legal preparations in the appellate proceedings of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against this judgment. Moreover, on behalf of Bangladeshi students, job seekers and the masses, we demand your direct participation and all necessary legal action against this verdict of quota restoration.
FH/EA/ASM
