Quota decision coming soon, assures cabinet secretary

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam says the decision regarding the prime minister’s announcement of the quota system’s abolition will be announced soon.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 14 May 2018, 11:42 AM
Updated : 14 May 2018, 11:42 AM

But the government has yet to form the promised committee that is to scrutinise and decide on the abolition or reform of the quota system.

Students and job seekers began a strike on Monday to demand the government release a gazette formalising the abolition of the quota system for civil service jobs.

“The cabinet did not discuss quotas,” Alam said following a cabinet meeting on Monday.

“But the process has begun and may be decided in a few days.”

“As far as I have heard [the committee formation] summary has already been sent from the Ministry of Public Administration to [Prime Minister’s Office]. Inshallah we will receive a response soon.”

Though he said he had received no notice of the committee’s formation, ‘it could happen soon’, he said.

At present, 56 percent of government jobs are secured for different quotas, 30 percent for children of freedom fighters, 10 percent for women, 10 percent for less-developed districts, 5 percent for minority ethnic groups and 1 percent for people with disabilities.

The Bangladesh Council to Protect General Students’ Rights, the platform of the quota reform protesters, demanded a reduction in the quotas up to 10 percent and wanted job-seekers on the merit list to be hired if people eligible for quota are unavailable.

Prime Minister Hasina on Apr 11 told parliament the quota system will be completely scrapped.

However, Central Joint Convener of The Bangladesh Council to Protect General Students’ Rights Nurul Haque Nur called strikes at all educational institutions from Monday to demand the government release the gazette.

Protesters blocked Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection on Monday.