Bangladesh govt to accept top court verdict on job quota

Bangladesh government to accept the Supreme Court verdict that scrapped most of the government job quotas, meeting the key demands of student unions.Media reports say calm prevailed in Dhaka and other cities following the curfew and shutdown of internet and phone services in the country. The country saw most violent clashes in years, leading to over 150 deaths and 4,000 injured.“The government announces to implement the ruling. The public sector job’s quota for the veterans’ families have reduced to five percent.” Students vowed to continue protest till the responsible for mass killings are booked under the law of the land, reports say. The protesters, however, applauded the court’s verdict, stating their demand was with the executive’s department. “Until those demands are implemented, the ongoing nationwide complete shutdown program will continue,” they announced.Their demands include justice for protesters killed, the release of detained protesters, the restoration of internet services and resignations of government ministers. The streets in the capital city – Dhaka – were reported deserted since the curfew was imposed two days ago, but clashes were even reported after the court’s ruling. The court ordered 93 percent of public sector jobs should be recruited on merit, leaving five percent for the family members of the veterans of the war of 1971. A remaining two percent is reserved for people from ethnic minorities or with disabilities. This was the second time this job quota triggered violence. Earlier Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led government suspended this quota in 2018 after severe protests, but a High Court of the country reinstated it about a month ago. The students were calling it discrimination against about 400,000 graduates a year against 300,000 government jobs, as 30 percen of these jobs were allocated for the children of veterans. Before the top court’s order 10 percent jobs were reserved for women and 10 percent of minorities and persons with disabilities. According to the reports police and the student wing of the governing Awami League – known as the Bangladesh Chhatra League –used brutal force against peaceful demonstrators, but the government denied the reports. During the clashes more than 800 prisoners escaped from a prison near Dhaka with 85 weapons and 10,000 ammunition rounds. Police say they have so far recaptured 58 of the prisoners. The prisoners escaped after a prison was attacked.The protests blamed the quota system was nothing but a reward to the loyalists of the government who brought Hasina into power for the fourth term. Law Minister Anisul Huq denied the quota system was benefiting the Awami League. Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, but the growth has not translated into jobs for university graduates. According to the estimates around 18 million young Bangladeshis are looking for jobs. In the US there was a demonstration outside the White House, mainly involving Bangladeshi students studying in the country. Disturbances was also reported in east London among the government and anti-government groups. Similarly, in the UEA Police arrested several protesters.