Demanding reinforcement of “Ethnic Quota” in governments’ first and second class jobs, Parbatya Chattogram Nagorik Committee (a platform for the citizens in Chittagong Hill Tracts) and Bangladesh Indigenous People’s Network (BIPNet) sent a memorandum to the prime minister on Sunday.
Nagirk Committee and BIPNet organised a press conference at a local Sabarang Restaurant in Rangamati town on the occasion.
In the conference, speakers said on June 22 in 1972, a convention no 107 of ILO (International Labour Organisation) in related to the “Adivasi (indigenous) and Tribal community and a convention no 111 for annulment of discrimination in government jobs was approved for the interest of ethnic people.
And following the continuation of those conventions, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) accord was signed under the Sheikh Hasina’s government on December 2, in 1997, they said.
But the government issued a notification on October in 2018 by cancelling all “Quota Systems” in which the “Ethnic Quota” system was also abolished. As a result, the fundamental rights of the people of small populations were jeopardised, said speakers.
They said ethnic people were deprived from the lawful rights of employment opportunities and others facilities as the “Quota” system was cancelled. It’s was a clear discrimination toward our people, and it would hamper the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDG).
Referring a promise of PM Sheikh Hasina, president of CHT Nagorik Committee, Goutam Dewan said after the cancellation of all quota system, Hasina in her speech at that time gave an assurance to the ethnic people to take special measures for us. Unfortunately, two years already have elapsed but the government had not taken any step in this regard, he pointed out. We expected that the government would do something good for us, he lamented.
He demanded for restoration of the “Ethnic Quota” system for the betterment of eleven ethnic communities living in CHT.
Referring a comment of the then cabinet secretary, Dewan said that he (secretary) told that the ethnic people were no longer remained backward, quota is not necessary anymore for them and it must be cancelled. How did the secretary tell it without any ground? He must make it clear through survey not in verbally how much our ethnic people got advanced, he pointed out.
Chief of Chakma Circle Raja barrister Devashis Roy said we would be very pleased if the government terms us as the people of small populations or Pahari Communities but not terming us as ethnic people.
He said relaxation is needed for ethnic people in government jobs, particularly in first and second class jobs. Whereas special consideration is being prevailed in our neighboring countries like India, Pakistan and Nepal for all the backward sections of small populations in appointing government jobs, so why not the system in our country, said Devashis.
Raja further said that our people would lag behind gradually if the government does not give special attention and we will lose our existence in near future.
The country will remained backward if it even left a single person behind. He urged the government to reintroduce the “Ethnic Quota” immediately.
Former member of National Human Right Commission, Nirupa Dewan, Prof Mong Shanoo Chowdhury and secretary of CHT Forest, Land and Environment Protection Rights Movement, Sudatta Bikash Tanchangya, attended the programme among others.