Top court to hear appeal against High Court verdict on quotas Wednesday

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to review a High Court verdict declaring the cancellation of the quota system in government jobs, including the first and second-class freedom fighter quota, illegal.

The date for the hearing was set by the chamber judge of the Appellate Division, Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, on Tuesday. Attorney General AM Amin Uddin is representing the state in this matter.

On July 4, the Appellate Division upheld the High Court’s earlier verdict from June 5, which ruled that the circular canceling the quotas, including those for freedom fighters in first and second-class government jobs, was illegal. As a result, the 30% quota for freedom fighters in government jobs (grades 9 to 13) will remain in effect.

The controversy began on October 4, 2018, when the Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular implementing the cabinet's decision to abolish the existing quota system for direct recruitment to first and second-class posts in government jobs. This decision followed a prolonged student movement demanding quota reform, leading the government to decide on merit-based recruitment.

The Ministry of Public Administration’s circular came a day after the cabinet meeting on October 3, 2018, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which approved the quota review committee's recommendations to remove the 45% quota for recruitment in government jobs from ninth to thirteenth grade.

The upcoming hearing by the Appellate Division will be pivotal in determining the future of the quota system in Bangladesh’s government recruitment process.