Bangladesh's Supreme Court Revokes Most Quotas for Public Jobs

Bangladeshi media have reported that the country's Supreme Court has revoked most of the public job quotas that have led to deadly protests in recent weeks. This comes as media previously reported ongoing sporadic clashes between protesters and security forces. According to local media reports, the Supreme Court on Sunday, July 31, ordered the government to reduce the job quotas for the families of freedom fighters from the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan from 30% to 5%. Reports indicate that 2% of public job opportunities will still be allocated for individuals from so-called 'backward and disabled' groups. Therefore, based on the Supreme Court's decision, 93% of public jobs will be available for ordinary individuals who must obtain public positions based on merit and without quotas. Sheikh Hasina's government had abolished the public job quota system in 2018, but the judiciary reinstated it last month, leading to anti-government protests. According to official statistics, at least 114 people have died during these protests, and the families of the victims see no prospect of holding those responsible for the killings accountable. Shahida, a relative of a deceased protester, told AFP on Saturday, 'My nephew was very innocent. He didn't know much. He was such a kid! They killed him despite his innocence. I want justice. Why did they kill my nephew? He did nothing. He was just a student.' The main reason for students' anger over the return of the public job quota system is the lack of job opportunities in Bangladesh for graduates, and protesting students claim that Sheikh Hasina's government intended to allocate public positions to its supporters under these circumstances. It remains unclear how the protesters will react to the Supreme Court's decision, but a recent temporary suspension of the quotas by a court did not quell the protests. The recent protests have gone beyond opposition to a specific law and have targeted the power of the Prime Minister, who has been in office for 15 years. Reports indicate that protesters in Dhaka chanted 'Death to the dictator.' Hasib Sheikh, 24, said on Saturday at a protest site organized in the capital despite a curfew, 'These protests are no longer about student rights. Our demand is only related to one thing, and that is the resignation of the government.' Ms. Hasina's government has been accused by human rights defenders of abusing state institutions and eliminating its opponents. The extensive restrictions imposed by her government in recent days, including curfews, internet shutdowns, and SMS outages, have disrupted normal life in this country of 170 million people.