Bangladesh Supreme Court Scraps Most Job Quotas; Will The Violence End?

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Sunday scrapped most of the quotas on government jobs, an issue that sparked violent nationwide protests by students which have killed 115 people over the last six days.

The Supreme Court’s Appellate Division dismissed a lower court order and directed 93% of government jobs should be open to candidates on merit, Bangladesh Attorney General AM Amin Uddin told Reuters.

He hoped the ruling will end the violence and restore peace in the country.

“Students have clearly said they are in no way part of the violence and arson that have taken place in Bangladesh since Monday. I am hoping normalcy will return after today’s ruling and people with ulterior motives will stop instigating people. I will ask the government to find out the culprits behind the violence and take strict action against them,” Amin Uddin said.

The public and students had been demanding a complete abolition of government jobs quota, so it remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court order satisfies all of them.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had scrapped the quota system in 2018, but the lower court reinstated it last month and pegged total quotas at 56%.

It led to unrest and demonstrations the kind of which has not been seen in Bangladesh since Hasina was re-elected for a fourth successive term earlier this year.

The government of nearly 170 million people has had to take strict measures.

Curfew has been imposed with shoot-at-sight orders, while Internet and text message services have been suspended as security forces cracked down on protesters who defied a ban on public gatherings.