Stipulating that 93 percent of recruitments will be on merit now, Bangladesh Supreme Court has scrapped most of the quotas in government jobs which had led to massive protests across the country and left 133 people dead, media reports said.

Dismissing High Court order, the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division directed that 93 per cent of government jobs in Bangladesh should be open to candidates on merit, said Bangladesh Attorney General A.M. Amin Uddin.

With the Top Court’s ruling, just 5 per cent of civil service jobs would now remain for the relatives of veterans from the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971, instead of 30 per cent. The remaining 2 per cent of jobs will remain reserved for people from so-called backward groups and the disabled persons.

In 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government scrapped the quota system, but the lower court reinstated it in June last, triggering the violent protests across the country that left as many as 133 dead as far as official figures were concerned.

The court directed that 93 per cent of government jobs will now be open for candidates based on merit.

The Sheikh Hasina-led Bangladesh government, which was voted back to power again this year following the general polls, scrapped the quota system in 2018.

The lower court’s decision to reinstate it triggered massive violent protests in the country with Dhaka being the epicentre.

The Bangladesh government has ordered the army to ‘shoot-on-sight’ in order to quell the civil unrest and for those defying the curfew orders as soldiers patrolled the streets amid the violent protest by students over demanding quota reform in government jobs, media reports said.

The Sheikh Hasina government Friday imposed a countrywide curfew and deployed troops as at least 133 deaths have been reported so far in violent protests and clashes over the government job quota system.

The curfew was lifted briefly on Saturday afternoon to allow people to run essential errands. People have been ordered to remain at home and all gatherings and demonstrations have been banned.

Bangladesh’s government has shut down internet services nationwide since Thursday.

Government websites remain offline and major newspapers including the Dhaka Tribune and Daily Star have been unable to update their social media platforms.

Indian students return home

Nearly 1,000 Indian students have returned to India from Bangladesh through various land transit points or by flight. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Foreign Ministry is fully focused on ensuring safety and well-being of the Indians in Bangladesh.

The US State Department has warned Americans not to travel to Bangladesh and said it would begin removing some diplomats and their families from the country roiled by deadly civil unrest.

Why is Bangladesh witnessing protests over the quota issue?

Violence escalated in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka and other places over protests by students, demanding reforms to the quota system for government jobs.

The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan.

The quotas have caused anger among students who face high youth unemployment rates, with nearly 32 million young Bangladeshis not in work or education out of a total population of 170 million people.