No quota for class-I, class-II jobs

The secretary-level committee for review of quota system led by cabinet secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam submitted its report to prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday recommending abolition of quota in recruitment of Class I and Class II civil servants. 
‘We have recommended abolition of all quotas in recruitment of Class I and Class II officials of Grade 9 to Grade 13 in public services,’ Shafiul Alam said at a briefing at the secretariat following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office. 
Protesters for reforms of the quota system, however, said that their protests would continue until a gazette notification reforming the quota was issued.
Replying to a query, the cabinet secretary said that all quotas including those for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren, districts, women and ethnic minorities would go if the proposal was approved by the prime minister and the cabinet. 
‘The public administration ministry will now seek the prime minister’s approval and then place it in the next cabinet meeting in the first week of August. If approved, the ministry will issue a gazette notification,’ he said.
The entry-level for Class I officials begin from Grade 9 on the government pay scale having 20 grades.
About the preservation of 30 per cent quota for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren, he said that they had consulted law experts and found that the abolition of quota system would not affect the High Court verdict in this regard since it was a policy decision of the government. 
Asked about quotas for women, districts and ethnic minorities, he said that they had analysed the matter and found those were no more required.
On August 13, the cabinet secretary said that the 30 per cent quota for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren could not be abolished right now claiming that ‘there is a Supreme Court verdict for maintenance of the quota for them.’
The government on July 2 formed the seven-member committee to reform or abolish the quota system in the face of protests that continued amid attacks and intimidation by the ruling Awami League-backed student body Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The committee that includes secretaries from the Prime Minister’s Office, public administration ministry, finance division, legislative division, Liberation War affairs ministry and Public Service Commission was initially given 15 working days to submit the report. The timeframe was later extended to 90 working days. 
Students and jobseekers took to the streets on February 17 and continued protests for reducing the quota in government jobs to 10 per cent from the existing 56 per cent, including 30 per cent for freedom fighters’ families, 10 per cent for women, 10 per cent for districts and 5 per cent for ethnic minorities. 
The protesters faced attacks from police and Chhatra League at places, including Dhaka. Most of them are now on the run fearing arrests and even cannot stay at halls fearing further attacks, several protesters said, adding at least 10 cases including five in Dhaka were filed against quota reform protesters. 
Hours after the disclosure of the committee report, Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, the platform of the protests for quota reform, at a press conference in front of Dhaka University Central Library said that recommendation for abolition of quota system for Class I and Class II government jobs was positive but they would continue their protests until the gazette notification was published.
Platform convener Hasan Al Mamun also demanded withdrawal of false cases against the students and exemplary punishment for attackers during quota reform movement.
They announced that they would hold a protest rally at Dhaka University at 11:30am on Tuesday to press home their demands.
Amid countrywide protests for reform of the quota system, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on April 11 told parliament that there would be no quota in government jobs.
Later on July 12, she warned in parliament that actions would be taken against any anarchy in the protests for reform of quota and said that the freedom fighters’ quota could not be changed because of a High Court verdict.

News Courtesy: www,newagebd.net