Hasina says quotas in government jobs will be settled in court, warns against unrest

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made it clear that the issue of quotas in public sector jobs will have to be decided in court before cautioning that if the ongoing protests turn destructive, they will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

During a news conference held at Ganabhaban on Sunday about her recent trip to China, she responded to a question, saying, “If the grandchildren of freedom fighters don’t benefit, does that mean the grandchildren of Razakars (Pakistani collaborators) will?”

Hasina travelled to Beijing last Monday at the invitation of the Chinese Premier Li Qiang, two weeks after a trip to India.

Although the four-day visit was scheduled to conclude on Thursday, the prime minister returned a day earlier on Wednesday.

She faced questions from journalists at the press conference about the ongoing movement waged by a group of students and job seekers for abolishment of quotas.

Referring to the notification revoking the quotas and the subsequent legal challenges by the children of freedom fighters, Hasina said, “The children of the freedom fighters have filed a case. If the High Court gives a verdict on this matter, there is nothing we can do.

“When the court has ruled, I have no right to oppose it. Neither the constitution nor the parliamentary procedures say that we can intervene until a court decision is reached. This is the reality, and we must accept it.”

About the uncompromising stance of the protesters, she said, “Those who are protesting now, they do not respect the law, nor the court; they do not even know what the constitution says. They lack the basic understanding of how the executive functions.

“Yes, they are studying and getting good marks, and they will be the future leaders, so they need to understand these concepts. They should know what the constitution says.”

Continued the premier: “When the issue (quota) has gone to court, it will be resolved there. The court has given them the opportunity to come and argue their case. Let them go to court and speak. But, they want to resolve it on the streets.”

Hasina highlighted the justification for retaining quotas. “Not all regions of our country are equally developed, and there are backward communities. Shouldn’t people from these areas have rights? We must consider ensuring that people from each district have employment opportunities.”

She also warned of strict action if violence occurs on the streets. “They can continue to protest on the streets, but they cannot engage in destructive activities. As long as they protest peacefully, no one says anything. But when they go beyond that, such as attacking police officers or vandalising police vehicles, then the law will take its own course. We cannot intervene in such matters.”

WILL GRANDCHILDREN OF COLLABORATORS GET JOBS?

Hasina presented her stance in favour of quotas in government jobs. “How the state will function is outlined in our constitution, which states that the underprivileged must be involved in state affairs. Have they ever read the constitution? Who has given them the right to speak against the freedom fighters?”

“Before starting the quota movement, they should have looked at their own results. Where do they stand!

“Why do they hold such resentment towards the Liberation War and the freedom fighters? If the grandchildren of freedom fighters are not to benefit, will the grandchildren of collaborators (get jobs)?

“What is the crime of the freedom fighters? Those who risked their lives, leaving their families and households, who fought in the Liberation War enduring hunger, mud, sun, rain, and storms to free this country.

“Because the freedom fighters brought victory, everyone today can hold high positions and speak loudly. Otherwise, we would have died at the hands of the Pakistanis.”

Hasina said during the Pakistani era, there were no international flights from Dhaka and one had to go to Karachi to get a visa. “These boys and girls have not seen that. They are jumping around, even unaware of things from 15 or 20 years ago.

“What was the condition of Bangladesh? There was an abundance of arms at Dhaka University and other universities, session jams. There was no semester system. There was no grading system, many subjects were not available. If anyone from Bangladesh went abroad with a degree, they had to start over from intermediate level. If enrolled in a school, they had to start over.”

The prime minister also brought up the situation of the freedom fighters after the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. She said, “After 15^th August, they could not say, ‘we are freedom fighters’. Because thousands of officers and soldiers, freedom fighters, were killed and cleared out by Ziaur Rahman.

“It felt like we had become a province of Pakistan. From there, Bangladesh has come back. The slogan ‘Joy Bangla’, the speech of 7^th March have returned. Doesn’t it feel good now? When they hear about the Liberation War, does it make them feverish?”