Quota review committee given 90 more days

The secretary-level committee to review, reform or cancel the existing quota system in public services has been extended by 90 days to complete its tasks.

A notification in this regard was published by the public administration ministry on Thursday.

The extension was given in the backdrop of the students' demonstration demanding quota reform or cancellation of quota as per announcement of the prime minister in parliament in April.

Formed on 2 July, the committee formed was initially asked to submit its report within 15 working days.

However, the committee held only one meeting on 8 July when its members decided to collect information about quota reserved for specific segment of the population at home and abroad.

Currently, 55 per cent of the public service jobs is reserved for applicants covered by various quotas and remaining 45 per cent for merit-based recruitment.

In the face of massive protestrs from students across the country, prime minister Sheikh Hasina said in April that there would be no quota.
Following delay in publishing of gazette notification in this regard, the students took to streets again recently.

On 2 July, the government then formed the seven-member committee headed by cabinet secretary Muhammad Shafiul Alam.

Other members of the committee are senior secretary of legislative and parliamentary affairs division of the law ministry M Shahidul Haque, then finance division secretary Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, public administration secretary Faiz Ahmed, liberation war affairs secretary Aparup Chowdhury, public service commission secretary Akhtari Momtaz and acting secretary of the prime minister's office Sajjadul Hasan.