Bangladesh’s Top Court scraps most jobs quota that sparked violent protests

Dhaka, July 21 (IANS) Bangladesh Supreme Court on Sunday scrapped most of the quota in the government jobs that sparked countrywide clashes between police and university students claiming over 100 lives.

With the Top Court’s ruling, just 5 per cent of civil service jobs would remain for the relatives of veterans from the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971, instead of 30 per cent.

The university students have been protesting against the quota system, terming it discriminatory.

In 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government scrapped the quota system, but the lower court reinstated it last month, sparking deadly protests.

The internet has been suspended in the South-Asian country since Thursday.

The government declared public holidays on Sunday and Monday, effectively closing government and private offices.

Bangladesh government has imposed a curfew and a shoot-on-sight order amid unrest.

–IANS

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