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The High Court on Thursday scrapped a government decision to issue appointment letters to 6,531 candidates who qualified as assistant teachers for government primary schools in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions.
The court cancelled the decision as their recruitment process was completed under the 84-percent quota system, which was scrapped by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in July 2024.
It also directed the authorities to start a fresh drive in line with the verdict, which has ruled that 93 percent jobs in civil service will be merit-based and the remainder be from quota.
The HC bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi delivered the verdict after hearing a writ petition filed by some dropped candidates.
Lawyers Mohammad Belayet Hossain, Mohammad Shishir Manir and Foyez Uddin Ahmed appeared in the hearing on behalf of the petitioners.
On the other hand, lawyers AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Ruhul Quddus Kazal and Muntasir Uddin Ahmed appeared for the selected teachers.
The recruitment process was done in three phases. The final results were published on 31 October 2024.
Thirty-one unsuccessful candidates filed the writ last November, challenging the recruitment process on grounds of quota system violations.
The petitioners argued that the quota executed in the recruitment process was contrary to the government's subsequent order to abolish all previous quotas.
After the primary hearing on 19 November 2024, the HC stayed the process for six months, effectively halting the appointment of 6,531 successful candidates.
At the same time, it issued a rule asking as to why the recruitment process should not be declared illegal.
Challenging the HC order, the Directorate of Primary Education submitted a leave-to-appeal with the Appellate Division. The Supreme Court upheld the HC order and ordered the settlement of the petition by January 25.
In the verdict, the HC observed that the recruitment drive was done in violation of a government order issued on 23 July 2024, which abolished all previous quotas.
However, the process followed the quota system as per the Primary School Teachers Recruitment Rules-2019, which included a 60 per cent quota for women, 20 per cent for dependents and 4.0 per cent for other categories.
Meanwhile, following the verdict, the previously selected candidates staged a protest in front of the High Court premises.
At one point, a Supreme Court lawyer urged the protesters to remain calm and refrain from demonstrating on the court compound. As police arrived, the demonstrators later left the premises.
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