The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a status quo for four weeks regarding the High Court’s earlier order to reinstate the quota system in government jobs. A five-justice bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order after hearing two petitions filed by the state and two Dhaka University students regarding the quota system’s reformation.
However, students who are protesting the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs after the Appellate Division’s order of status quo on the High Court’s verdict for four weeks, announced that they would continue their ‘protest’. Quota protesters observed a nationwide ‘protest’ yesterday, demanding the government reform the quota system.
In Dhaka, students gathered at the 17 strategic points including the Shahbagh intersection yet again, chanting slogans against the quota system, bringing vehicular movement in the area to a standstill. Thousands of university and college students took to the streets and blocked traffic in the capital and different national highways yesterday to press home their demand for cancellation of the quota system in government jobs.
City dwellers suffered immensely as thousands of students barricaded key points in the city, causing heavy traffic congestion that spilled over to nearby roads and allies. The long-distance passengers also remained stuck for hours on different national highways.
The office-goers, businessmen, and students of primary and secondary schools are going through tremendous troubles due to the severe gridlock. This standoff continues plunging the city’s public transportation system into further chaos, causing immense suffering to them since July 1.
Court is the appropriate place to
resolve the ongoing crisis over the
quota system in government service as street
movements cannot give any solution to this
The apex court asked the agitating students to go back to their classes and to sit for their exams, and all the vice-chancellors of the universities to create a congenial environment for education. Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan said they will hear the arguments from all the aggrieved students through their lawyers during the hearing of the leave to appeal petition against the High Court verdict.
Explaining the order to the newsmen, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said the matter would remain till August 7 as it is. The quota system would not be applied to the circulars issued based on the government order issued in 2018 that abolished the 30 percent quota system for the Freedom Fighters’ children in the ninth to 13th grades of government jobs.
The matter would come again for a hearing on August 7 and the state would file a regular appeal after getting the full text of the High Court judgment. Now there is no logic in continuing movements over quota.
We think the court is the appropriate place to resolve the ongoing crisis over the quota system in government service as street movements cannot give any solution to this. It could result in contempt of court. That is why, the court is the appropriate place to resolve the crisis over quota. We hope now students will now withdraw their movements. Prime Minister has clearly said that the issue is now at the apex court and it would take its decision after hearing all the parties in this regard. We believe with the final hearing of the Supreme Court, the quota reform issue will be solved. The court will make a realistic decision. Our students should respect our Supreme Court. The court’s decision will be final.
The reform of the quota system in government jobs would be resolved through the hearing in the Supreme Court in the first week of August. Considering the people’s sufferings the students should return to their classes by accepting the directives of the highest court and stop the programmes that create public sufferings.
