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The government Tuesday issued the much-hyped circular clipping quotas in all grades of government jobs to 7.0 per cent from a steep level, in an exigent step meant for pacifying student protesters.
"Strictly in line with the verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) has this quota rearrangement been made," Law Minister Anisul Huq said at a press conference held at his residence at Gulsahn-2 in Dhaka.
According to the circular, a total of 7.0-percent quotas have been kept in recruitments to different government, semi-government, autonomous, semi-autonomous, self-governed, and statutory bodies and corporations.
The remaining 93 per cent of the jobs remain open for grabs on merit basis.
The aggregate 7.0 per cent breaks down as 5.0 per cent for children of Freedom Fighters and Birongona, 1.0 per cent for the ethnic minorities and another 1.0 per cent for the physically challenged-and third-gender persons.
The circular issued by the Public Administration Ministry further reads if qualified jobseekers are not available for the fixed posts of the priority groups, then vacant posts will be fulfilled by the candidates on the common merit list.
"All the circulars, notifications, orders and directions issued earlier in this regard, including the one issued on October 4 in 2018, have been declared void by issuing this circular. The circular will be effective without delay," it is stated in the notification.
Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Information State Minister Mohammad A Arafat, Law Secretary Md Golam Sarwar and Public Administration Secretary Mohammad Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury were also present at the press meet.
The law minister further said that the gazette notification regarding the issue is almost complete.
He said, "We (the government) have complied with the Appellate Division's verdict regarding quota reform and formed a one-member committee for the judicial inquiry into the deaths and causalities that took place during the movement. It has already started its activities and will visit the spots when the situation will become normal."
He announced that the government will take care about the treatment of the students who got injured during the violence.
"We will see if the students give information of the cases filed against them in connection with the movement. We will take steps to bring back the study environment in the educational institutions, to ensure protection and security for all the students."
Asked whether the government through this notification has abolished the 60-percent women quota in primary-school recruitment process, the Law Minister said, "Government has complied with the apex court verdict. We have no authority to modify any 'full stop', 'comma' or 'semi-colon' of the apex court verdict. We have no intention to violate this verdict."
To another query whether all the demands of the quota reformists have been fulfilled, the minister said, "It was a movement for quota reformation. We have reformed the quota system. Now they have also a responsibility. They should go back to their respective educational institutions and start their study."
The minister indicated that if the future demands, then they may bring change in the circular. He said there was never any law regarding the quotas in Bangladesh and the government fixed it through notifications only.
"We are on a try to bring back study environment in the educational institutions as early as possible," said the law minister.
However, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury said without ensuring the security they will not open the university halls for the students.
On a query, the law minister said, "It was not limited to just an anti-quota movement, rather BNP, Jamaat, Chhatra Shibir and Chhatra Dal men engaged in the movement to destroy the country."
Information Minister Mohammad A Arafat said, "They (BNP and Jammat) have pre-plan to unleash violence during the peaceful student movement. They had preparation to torch the data centre. In the absent of the internet connection, we are also facing trouble as we cannot communicate globally. Taking the advantage of the situation, their syndicate made the disinformation campaign. That is why globally different international media are giving misinformation about the movement."
He said the government is trying to restore the internet connection at least at a minimum level. "You (journalists) inform the world what has really been happened in Bangladesh."
Replying a query the Law Minister said, "Women (protesters) during the movement have said that they have already been empowered enough. So they don't need any quota. I have nothing to do if the Appellate Division takes into cognizance that slogan."
The Education Minister could not answer as to how many students have already been killed during the movement.
It may be known after the opening of the educational institutions, he said.
The law minister informed that a judicial probe is under way regarding the issue and before completing the probe they will not talk on the issue.
The government hopes no new problem will be created and the situation will not deteriorate as they have made solution on the issue, the law minister said.
He threatened hard-line steps if any 'evil force' tried to deteriorate the situation.
He said the government would withdraw the curfew when a comfortable situation comes back into people's lives.
The state minister for information squarely blamed troublemakers for all that have gone wrong. "When you will be attacked, then you have to fight back to defend yourself. "When we were fighting back against the attackers, then violence took place and resulted in causalities," he told the journalists.
"So we want to say the attackers are responsible for the causalities that took place during the movement. We condemn all the incidents of causalities and hope to bring the responsible under trial."