From now on, government jobs for class-I and II posts will be given on the basis of merit. The Cabinet finally abolished the quota system yesterday (Wednesday) as per the recommendation of a high-power committee.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who chaired Monday's Cabinet meeting, told her colleagues that the quota system for government jobs would be abolished as students did not want it, according to a minister.

The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC), responsible for recruitment of civil  servants, has welcomed the decision. But quota reformists said they will give their reaction on the issue only after a gazette notification is issued.

After the Cabinet meeting, Cabinet secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told reporters that they will inform the public administration ministry in this regard within a day or two and the ministry would issue a gazette notification within two or three days.

“The government has abolished the quota system for class-I and II for government jobs as the Cabinet approved the committee’s report on quota,” he said.

Quoting the committee’s recommendations, the Cabinet secretary said: “The committee suggested recruitment in class-I and class-II posts of government jobs on the basis of merit and taking appropriate decisions on the existing population after cancelling the quota system. The Cabinet approved all the recommendations.”

However, Alam said the quota system will remain for class-III and IV posts of government jobs.

BPSC secretary Aktari Mamtaz told The Independent that all the recruitment for the class-l and ll government jobs would be as per the gazette notification of the public administration ministry. “It is a very good decision. Now meritorious students will get jobs. Earlier, meritorious students were deprived of jobs due to the quota system,” she said.

When contacted, secretary of the Dhaka University unit of the Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sontan Command, Al Mamun, said the Cabinet’s decision is an insult to them and they are not accepting it.

“Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave us this quota system in 1972. From 1975 to 1995 there was quota for us, but there was no full implementation as at that time there was BNP-Jamaat in power. The Awami League is in power now, so we don’t expect such decisions from the government. We are the sons of freedom fighters and will form a tougher movement with freedom fighters and their sons,” he added.

Bangladesh Adibashi Quota Songrokhon Porishod coordinator William Nokrekh said: “The Adibashis and the disabled are always among the backward sectors. So, we think that the quota system is our right. The Cabinet’s decision is clearly a conspiracy against us to make us more backward. We will forge a harder movement to ensure our quota and will be in the field until we get justice.”

The government had formed the committee on July 2, asking it to submit a report within 15 working days, amid protests by a section of students and jobseekers demanding reviewing of the quota system.

Of the committee members, secretaries to the public administration ministry, Finance Division, Liberation War affairs ministry, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the law ministry and the Public Service Commission attended yesterday’s meeting.

At present, 56 per cent of government jobs are reserved under the quota system. Of these, 30 per cent are allocated for children of Liberation War fighters, 10 per cent for women, 10 per cent for backward districts, 5 per cent for ethnic minority groups and 1 per cent for the disabled.

On April 11, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina first announced in Parliament that the quota system would be abolished.