Don’t understand logic behind anti-quota movement: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina  today said she is unable to understand the logic behind the movement against the quota system in civil service.

"What's the reason behind such a sudden movement against the quota system? We don't understand," she said.

The Prime Minister was speaking at the inaugural function of electronic distribution of honorary allowances among freedom fighters to their bank accounts (government to person) in Cox's Bazar through a video conference from her official residence Ganobhaban.

She said those who appear in Public Service Commission (PSC) recruitment examinations have to go through a serious scrutiny before getting any job. "Aren't those who appear in the exams brilliant? All are brilliant here. The PSC exams are very much tough, without being brilliant nobody can appear in these exams!"

The prime minister said one cannot pass the PSC exams if he or she is not brilliant. "Those who're very much talented can go through the PSC exam process, and they get the government jobs"

She mentioned that the government has introduced non-cadre jobs from PSC exams. "How much talented are they to utter that those who are getting job through PSC exams are not brilliant, how dare they talk such non-sense?" Hasina asked.

Regarding the violent movement, the Prime Minister said she could understand the movement, but she is unable to understand the logic behind ransacking the house of the Dhaka University Vice Chancellor at midnight when the activists entered his bedroom and looted valuables, including gold ornaments and cash.

"We cannot believe the agitators being the students of DU who looted the VC's house... we cannot believe that any student can do that. I feel ashamed of thinking this, and if the involved persons are students then it's more shameful for us," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the anti-quota movement is indirectly against the facility for freedom fighters and their family members to get government jobs.

She said the AL government has ensured the quota for the freedom fighters and their family members so that they could take part in running the republic.

"When an anarchic situation started in the name of anti-quota movement, I had declared to remove the quota system, but we've to be careful of the anti-liberation element and war criminals so that they cannot return to power and cannot get position in any government job," the Prime Minister said.

She mentioned that there was a writ in the High Court about freedom fighters quota and as per its verdict the unfilled posts should be lying vacant. "But, the government moved the Appellate Division seeking a review. The Appellate Division said the vacant posts can be filled with persons from the merit list."

"I feel pity, when I see educated, knowledgeable persons, even university teachers and retired public servants in the talk-show talk against the quota system, they never say these students committed a very bad job attacking the DU VC's house. What could be worse than this for a DU student? They never talk about this; even they don't know anything about the directives of the Appellate Division," she bemoaned.

The Prime Minister said the government cannot fully scrap the quota system due to the HC verdict. But, the government formed a committee regarding the matter to further examine it. "We cannot disobey the HC verdict."

She said those who are talking about the quota system do not have any idea of the HC verdict or the Appellate Division directives. "They cleanly forget those things."

Sheikh Hasina, also the chief of the ruling Awami League, said she never minds when the barristers and knowledgeable persons of BNP talked about this as they are always experts in uttering lies. "They'll say what they want and it does not matter at all."

But, she wondered, how the teachers could make such mistakes.

Some 342 freedom fighters of Cox's Bazar will get the allowance directly through electronic system.

Later, the Prime Minister talked to the beneficiaries through a videoconference.

She asked the local administration, public representatives and people to look after the Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar. Besides, she directed them to make sure the local people must not suffer due to the influx of the Rohingya refugees.

Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Huq delivered the welcome speech on the occasion. Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Liberation War Ministry Cap (retd) AB Tajul Islam was present.

Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman conducted the event, while Liberation War Affairs Secretary Aparup Chowdhury made a presentation on the honorary allowance of freedom fighters.

In his presentation, the Liberation War Affairs Secretary said a total of 1,86,404 people get freedom fighters' honorary allowance across the country.