The Hasina regime had earlier stopped the quota in 2018 in response to widespread student protests, so the ruling regime should have expected unrest after the High Court reinstated in June the policy that reserved 30% of government jobs for the relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence.
The authorities were unprepared for the new wave of protests, which resulted in violent altercations between the police and demonstrating students around the nation.The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has cut the controversial reservation, which is a welcome intervention.
Source: Business Recorder
It has mandated that the veterans’ quota be reduced to 5%, with 93% of the positions being awarded based only on merit. The remaining 2% of the employment will be reserved for people who belong to specific ethnic minorities and other organisations. The decision should aid in appeasing the demonstrators and bringing about the restoration of calm and regularity.
But given the enormous death toll, the administration needs to examine itself brutally.There needs to be immediate attention given to students’ unhappiness with the lack of well-paying jobs. The quota clause has drawn criticism since it seems to favour Prime Minister Hasina’s party, the Awami League, which spearheaded the independence movement.
Source: DW News
Regardless of their political party, she had defended it by arguing that veterans should be treated with the utmost respect for their role in the liberation. The PM, though, cannot afford to overlook the state of affairs as they stand. Bangladesh’s remarkable economic growth will be maintained with the support of a merit-based employment system.
Hopefully, the government will carry out the ruling of the supreme court exactly as written. There is also a lesson here for India, where quotas have caused a stir in a number of states and unemployment is a significant problem. There are serious repercussions when political concerns take precedence over maintaining fair hiring practices.
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