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Bangladesh Supreme Court Scales Back Controversial Job Quotas Amid Violent Unrest

CosmicTaco · 2024-07-22T08:39:21.456331+05:30

- Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has significantly reduced government job quotas that had sparked widespread protests and violent clashes, resulting in over 100 deaths. - The court's decision overturns a lower court ruling that reserved about a third of public sector jobs for descendants of 1971 independence war veterans. - The quotas, seen as favoring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s loyalists, were reinstated last month but faced strong opposition from university students and the public. - The Supreme Court now mandates that 93% of government jobs be awarded based on merit, addressing public anger over economic distress and inequality. - The unrest has led to a heavy-handed crackdown by security forces, including shoot-on-sight orders, curfews, and communication bans, drawing criticism from international bodies like Amnesty International. Source: Financial Times

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has significantly reduced government job quotas that had sparked widespread protests and violent clashes, resulting in over 100 deaths.
The court's decision overturns a lower court ruling that reserved about a third of public sector jobs for descendants of 1971 independence war veterans.
The quotas, seen as favoring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s loyalists, were reinstated last month but faced strong opposition from university students and the public.
The Supreme Court now mandates that 93% of government jobs be awarded based on merit, addressing public anger over economic distress and inequality.
The unrest has led to a heavy-handed crackdown by security forces, including shoot-on-sight orders, curfews, and communication bans, drawing criticism from international bodies like Amnesty International.

Source: Financial Times