HC upholds quota in govt job

The High Court today upheld the quota system in government service, disposing a writ petition filed seeking cancellation of the system.

The bench of Justice Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan passed the rejection order saying that the writ petitioners are not a victim of the existing quota system but they disagreed with it.

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Keeping the quota system is a policy decision of the government, the court said.

Writ petitioner's lawyer Advicate Aklas Uddin Bhuiyan told The Daily Star that his client will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the HC order.  

DU student Anisur Rahman Mir, Member Secretary of Comilla Journalists' Association Didarul Alam and Senior Sub-editor of daily Amader Orthoneeti Abdul Wadud filed the petition on January 31.

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They appealed to the court to direct the government to re-evaluate the quota system, describing it as discriminatory and contrary to the constitution.

The petitioners said the constitution does not allow any discrimination.

In the petition, they mentioned that the then government on November 5 in 1972 had introduced 30 percent quota for the freedom fighters and 10 percent quota for the women who were affected during the Liberation War for jobs at government, private, defence, semi-government and nationalised institutions.

Later, the quota system was reformed.

The petitioners said the quota system in the civil service is against the provisions of articles 19, 28 and 29 of the constitution, which ensure equal opportunities for all citizens.