Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat has categorically said there is no scope for the government to form a commission to reform the quota system, as it is a sub-judice matter.

He explained that after the Appellate Division's verdict, the government no longer has the jurisdiction to form a commission to amend the quota system.

He made these remarks while addressing a press conference held at the Dhaka district unit Awami League office in the Tejgaon area on Saturday.

The agitators have been pressuring the government to resolve the issue in parliament, however, the sub-judice matters cannot be resolved through the executive division, he added.

Arafat said the quota system does not undermine merit but is imperative for ensuring a balanced representation of underprivileged groups in the country.

Meanwhile, the demonstrators have made clear their rigid stance of not stepping aside from the movement and have vowed to continue it until they reach their goal.

The agitated students have been continuing the movement from 1 July and last Sunday, they announced the Bangla Blockade programme to realise their demand.

Following a nationwide student movement against the quota system, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while addressing the parliament on 11 April 2018, announced to abolish all sorts of quota privileges in the public service.

Meanwhile, on 5 June 2024, the High Court declared illegal the government decision that in 2018 cancelled the 30 percent quota system for the freedom fighters' children in the civil service of ninth to 13th grades (first and second classes of jobs).

Protesting the HC declaration, the students of the country’s almost all public and private universities got agitated and started waging protests demanding restoration of the circular issued in 2018 revoking the quota system in the government jobs.

In line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s announcement, the government on 4 October 2018 issued a circular revoking the 10 percent women quota, 30 percent freedom fighters’ quota and 10 percent district quota for first and second-class government jobs.

Later, Ohidul Islam, president of the Central Command Council of Children and Generations of Freedom Fighters, filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of the circular.

Following the writ petition, the HC, in its verdict, declared the circular illegal on 5 June 2018.