Bangladesh court scraps job quotas after deadly unrest

Bangladesh’s top court has scrapped most of the quotas on government jobs that had sparked violent clashes across the country that have killed more than 100 people.

A third of public sector jobs had been reserved for the relatives of veterans from the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971. But now the court has ruled just 5% of the roles can be reserved for veterans’ relatives.

Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government would implement the ruling within days. Some student leaders have vowed to continue protesting.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Huq also denied that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina – who has been in power since 2009 – was losing her grip on Bangladesh.

“In that case you would have seen the mass population of the country to revolt. They have actually supported the government in this turmoil and they have said yes, the government should act to bring the violence to an end,” he said.

He blamed opposition forces for joining the protests and destroying “the symbols of Bangladesh’s development”.
Several protest movement coordinators have told the BBC that action would continue until the government took action.

“We applaud the court’s verdict,” said one coordinator, Nusrat Tabassum. “But our main demand is with the executive department. Until those demands are implemented, the ongoing nationwide complete shutdown program will continue.”

The students’ demands also include justice for protesters killed in recent days, the release of detained protest leaders, the restoration of internet services and resignations of government ministers.

Streets in the capital Dhaka are deserted as a second day of curfew is in force, but sporadic clashes continued even after the supreme court ruling.

About 115 people are known to have died but local media report a much higher casualty figure. At least 50 people were killed on Friday alone.

The Supreme Court ruling orders that 93% of public sector jobs should be recruited on merit, leaving 5% for the

family members of the veterans of the country’s independence war. A remaining 2% is reserved for people from ethnic minorities or with disabilities.

Scrapped in 2018 by Ms Hasina’s government, the quota system was reinstated by a lower court last month, sparking the protests.

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