Govt won’t do anything on quota before Appellate Division’s verdict: Quader

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said the government won’t reduce or increase quota in government jobs before the Appellate Division announces its verdict on the issue.

Quader said as the quota issue is under trial with the court, there is nothing to do about it. The law will take its own course.

The AL general secretary said this after holding a meeting with a delegation of university teachers about the ongoing movement of public university teachers about universal pension scheme prottoy.

Obaidul Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said that many of the demands and remarks made by quota reform protesters are against the fundamental principles of the constitution. A government policy framed under the principles of constitution cannot be changed due to the demands of a section of students. The instructions of the court should be implemented in the light of the constitution.

The AL general secretary said the article 19 of the constitution states that the state will ensure equality of opportunity to all citizens. But in the last few years, the inclusion of women in government jobs has depressingly decreased due to the absence of quotas. Only four women officers have been appointed in the police while only two in the foreign cadre. Women in 50 districts did not get any cadre. No one got police cadre from 23 districts.

Obaidul Quader added that a total of 72 per cent recruitment was made from merit list in 33rd, 34th and 35th BCS examinations. The vacant posts of quota were filled up from the merit lists in these BCS exams.

Drawing a comparison with other South Asian countries, Quader said quota is rather less in Bangladesh as India has 60 per cent quota, Pakistan 92.5 per cent, Nepal 45 per cent and Sri Lanka 50 per cent. Quota is necessary considering the socioeconomic reality of the country.

Obaidul Quader also alleged that a vested quarter has been trying to destabilize the state by exploiting the emotion of the students.

“That vested group that failed in the political movement took hold of the quota movement in 2018 and the road safety movement. They are trying to create a negative impression about the history of the country and the values of the liberation war among the students. We want to believe in the power of youth,” Quader added.  

AL joint general secretaries Mahabub-ul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, Mirza Azam, Afzal Hossain and Sujit Roy Nandi, office secretary Biplab Barua, prime minister's advisor on education and cultural affairs Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, deputy minister for education Shamsunnahar Chapa, among others, were present at the briefing.