Ministry proposes forming committee on quota issue

The public administration ministry today sent a proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office for undertaking necessary steps including forming a committee to put an end to the crisis of the much-talked-about existing quota system in the civil service.    

In the proposal, Cabinet Secretary Md Shafiul Islam has been recommended as the head of the committee to initiate next steps in abolishing the existing quota system or its reformation.

Later, the government will come up with its decision based on the report of the committee in this regard, said Md Mozammel Haque Khan, senior secretary of the ministry, reports Bangla daily Prothom Alo.

Currently, 44 percent of the public service recruitments comes from merit list while the remaining 56 percent from various quotas including freedom fighter, ethnic minority and others.

On February 17, students under the banner of Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad went on a countrywide movement demanding reduction of quota down to 10 percent from 56 percent.

The movement turned into violent on April 8, as police fired several hundred teargas shells and rubber bullets, used water cannons and charged batons to disperse the demonstrators who blocked the Shahbagh intersection pressing home the demand.

On Thursday, April 12, protesters called off their agitation after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 11 said in the parliament that there would be no more quota in the civil service.

However, the quota reformists later threatened to wage tougher movement if the government does not publish a gazette notification abolishing the quota system in public service immediately.