Panel suggests 1% quota for disabled people in government jobs

The parliamentary standing committee on social welfare has suggested reserving 1 percent quota in government jobs for the people with disabilities in line with the related law.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 19 Sept 2018, 01:10 PM
Updated : 19 Sept 2018, 02:11 PM

The parliamentary committee made the recommendation at a meeting on Wednesday, a day after a government panel recommended abolishing quotas and introducing merit-based appointments of the first and second class officers.

Besides other quotas in government jobs, there is a 1 percent quota for the people with disabilities.

“The committee recommended the ministry keep taking effective steps to preserve the 1 percent quota that reflects facilities mentioned in the disabilities act,” the Parliament Secretariat said in a press release.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, Social Welfare Minister Rashed Khan Menon said the quota for people with disabilities cannot be abolished without changing the Persons with Disabilities Rights and Protection Act.

“It will be contradictory to the Act if the quota is scrapped before amendments are made to the law,” he said.

The quota system allows the government to preserve 56 percent posts in jobs for different quotas. These quotas include 30 percent for families of freedom fighters, 10 percent for women, 10 percent for particular districts, 5 percent for small ethnic groups, and 1 percent for people with disabilities.

Students and jobseekers have been protesting against the system, demanding that the total jobs preserved for different quotas be brought down to 10 percent.

When the quota reform protests peaked, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told parliament on Apr 11 that she would rather see the system go. Later, she said that 30 percent of quota will remain as per the directive of the High Court.

The government, however, formed the committee headed by Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam on June 2 to reform the quota scheme.

If the committee’s recommendations were to be accepted, the 56 percent quota for government jobs will be rolled back and the positions will be filled up on merit.

The proposal will be presented before the cabinet after it gets the prime minister’s approval, Alam said earlier. Once it receives cabinet approval, it can be issued as a gazette as early as next month, he added.

The parliamentary standing committee on the social welfare ministry also recommended strengthening security at the safe home for women, children and girls in Gazipur, from where 17 girls had fled recently.

Committee chief Mozammel Hossain MP chaired the meeting. Menon and other members were also present.