Govt for 80pc jobs on merit; Judicial inquiry committee formed to investigate killings

During a hearing before the Supreme Court on Sunday, the government will appeal to the court to keep 80 percent government jobs based on merit and rest on different quotas.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said this at a press conference at party president's Dhanmondi office on Thursday after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Gono Bhaban.

The PM directed all law enforcers to control the situation with a firm hand, he said quoting Hasina.

She also asked all AL leaders and activists, its associate bodies, and public representatives to stay on the streets to resist the creators of chaos, Quader said.

In a statement last night, the home ministry said law enforcers would be compelled to use the highest level of force according to the law if the destructive activities continue.

Meanwhile, four organisers of the quota reform protests yesterday on their Facebook pages said that it is the government that has to devise a solution to the prevailing crisis.

They rejected the law minister's call for dialogue and vowed to continue their demonstrations.

"No dialogue will take place over the blood of martyrs. It is the government that has to devise a solution," Nahid Islam, one of the key organisers, said in a Facebook post.

He said he feared that they might be arrested and may become victims of enforced disappearances. He urged others to continue with the demonstrations.

Protest organiser Asif Mahmud on his Facebook page said there can be no dialogue when shots are being fired. "I would rather die than betray the blood of martyrs."

Sarjis Alam, another organiser, said, "How can there be dialogue over my brothers' death?"

Hasnath Abdullah said it is not true that they made proposals for talks with the government.

The Daily Star could not reach the four protest organisers over the phone.

Their Facebook posts came hours after Law Minister Anisul Huq told media that following the offer of the protesters, the government agreed to hold discussions with them.

He also announced taking an initiative to hold the early hearing of the quota-related case pending with the Supreme Court and forming a one-member judicial committee to investigate the killing of six people on Tuesday.

Afterwards, the Cabinet Division issued a circular forming a one-member inquiry committee led by High Court Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman to investigate killings and other incidents.

Justice M Enayetur Rahim, chamber judge of the Supreme Court, following an appeal of the attorney general, fixed Sunday for a hearing on the quota-related case.

Anisul claimed that they learnt that the protesting students wanted talks. "We have welcomed their proposal. The prime minster also welcomed it."

He said the prime minister assigned him and the education minister to talk to the students. "We will sit with them …We are ready to sit with them anytime. We are ready to sit even today," he told reporters at the Jatiya Sangsad complex.

"We think there is no need to continue with the protest anymore … I am requesting them to either call off the demonstrations or suspend it."