University students’ protests called for changes to the traditional job quota system in Bangladesh. More than half of the highly sought-after government posts were reserved under the scheme. The quota was first introduced by Sheikh Mujeeb Ur Rehman in 1972, reserving a certain proportion of government positions for the children and descendants of those who participated in the war against Pakistan in 1971.
Under the system, 44 percent of first- and second-class government jobs are “merit” and serve specific communities: 30 percent goes to the descendants of liberation fighters’ children, 10 percent goes to women, 10 percent goes to “backward” areas under the “zila quota,” 5 percent goes to ethnic minorities, and 1 percent goes to those with physical impairments.
Twenty percent of government officials were hired based on merit between 1972 and 1976, and the remaining officials were hired based on quotas.
In 1976, the percentage of hiring based on merit was raised to 40%. It remained at that level until 1985 when it was raised to 45%. The government expanded the quota to include children of freedom fighters in 1996 and it was further extended in 2009 to include the grandchildren of those who fought for independence. Merit-based recruiting was reduced to 44% in 2012 when a quota of one percent was instituted for individuals with disabilities.
2018 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement
A student-led initiative in 2018 called for changes to recruitment practices in government services in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement quickly gained traction among college and university students, compelling the government to make announcements.
56 percent of government-related entry posts in Bangladesh are designated for particular “entitled” classes under the government recruiting system. 30% goes to children and grandchildren of the “freedom fighters” of 1971, 10% goes to women. 10% goes to population-based districts, 5% goes to ethnic minorities, and 1 percent goes to individuals with disabilities. Due to this, only 44% of job applicants can be hired based on merit.
Several universities in Bangladesh witnessed protests and counterviolence in July 2018, with demands that the quota be lowered from 56% to 10% and vacant positions should be filled according to the merit list. Following a large-scale student protest demanding change rather than abolition, the government issued a circular in 2018 ending the quota system for Class 1 and Class 2 positions in response to the movement.
The government announced in 2019, that while there is currently no quota for recruiting into first- and second-class positions, there is still a quota in place for third- and fourth-class positions. This includes grades 14 to 20. However, if no candidate meets the relevant quota, the position must be filled from the general candidate merit list. A proposal from the Ministry of Public Administration to eliminate quotas on direct appointments to 8th- or higher-grade positions in government employment was also accepted by the cabinet in 2020.
2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Uprisings
The High Court ruled on 5th June that the removal of quotas in 2018 was unlawful, restoring the 30% quota for the children of freedom fighters. PM Sheikh Hasina defended the quota system, stating that all those who served, regardless of their party membership at the time, be treated with the utmost respect for their sacrifice made in 1971.
Her comments sparked a protest in Dhaka University, drawing thousands of students, including females, out of their homes. Aronno Shahriar, an organizer of a protest at Rabindra University, said that, “Except for a few quotas for disabled people and marginalized people, we want all quotas to go. But instead of listening to our demand, the government started insulting us.”
On 7th July, demonstrators across the country launched the Bangla Blockade, obstructing traffic and rail and holding quota protests in key cities and metropolises like Chittagong, Dhaka, Comilla, Jessore, Rajshahi, and Rangpur. Although the Appellate Division on 10th July imposed a four-week hold on the matter, protesters persisted in calling for a solution from the administration and protests became violent in Bangladesh.
Students coordinated their activities through the use of internet-based chat apps. PM Hasina referred to the demonstrators as “Razakars,” an offensive term used in Bangladesh to describe people who collaborated with Pakistan during the 1971 war and betrayed Bangladesh.
Government Violence
During deadly clashes between protestors and a pro-government student organization, the government sent in riot police, who used tear gas and charged with weapons. In addition, paramilitary forces were stationed in several districts due to increased hostilities. The protestors claimed that Hasina’s Awami League’s student branch, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, was targeting their nonviolent demonstrations.
Divisions in the Political Landscape
The disputes, which took place in the heart of Dhaka, highlight the pervasive political divide in the nation. The main opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and the biggest Islamist party in the nation, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, arranged the “grand rallies” in the capital intending to demand the resignation of Hasina’s administration.
Supreme Court’s Verdict
On 21st July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled a change to the government job quota reservation system: 93% of jobs would be filled based on merit under the new system, 5% set aside for children of liberation fighters, 1% for ethnic minorities, and 1% for the third gender and individuals with disabilities.
On 23rd Juy 2024, the Ministry of Public Administration officially put this decision into effect. While student organizations behind the protests expressed gratitude for the Supreme Court’s ruling, they decided to press forward with their demonstrations until their main demands were satisfied, including the release of those detained and the resignation of the officials who instigated the violence.
Sheikh Hasina’s Resignation
Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has quit and left the country for India in the wake of some of the worst violence the country has seen since its independence. There will be an interim administration in place amid this chaos. This development was reported by Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, who assumed command of handling the issue. He has discussed the matter with civil society and opposition parties, but not with Hasina’s party, and also intends to collaborate with the president to establish the interim government.
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Sayba Sagheer is an M. Phil International Relations student at Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore. Her areas of interest include defense and strategic studies, geopolitics, and foreign policy analysis of major powers.
Mr Muhammad Mudassir is a student of Bachelors of Science in Defence and Strategic Studies at Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad.