The spotlight is on Wednesday’s parliament session as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to address the issue of quotas in public services.
Amid demonstrations across the country demanding reforms to the existing system, senior Awami League leader Obaidul Quader hinted on Wednesday that Hasina may speak on the issue in the House.
“The prime minister’s question-and-answer session is scheduled today and the quota issue might come up. Wait and see what the prime minister says,” Secretary General Quader told the media after a party meeting.
Earlier in the day, the leadership of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling party’s student front, said the prime minister has told them that the quota system will be lifted.
Its President Saifur Rahman Shohag told the media at the Dhaka University, “The prime minister has assured that there will be no quotas in government jobs.”
According to him, Hasina’s assurance came during a meeting with him and the general secretary at the Ganabhaban in the morning and that the PM will address the matter in parliament.
Despite the BCL leadership’s call for halting demonstrations, students and job-seekers are continuing with their protests saying they will call it off after the prime minister’s assurance.
Highly-placed sources in the administration confirmed that the revoking the quota is on the cards and that an announcement over reforms or lifting it can be expected from the PM on Wednesday.
Sources in the Awami League say, its Joint Secretary General Jahangir Kabir Nanak will float a question on the issue in parliament.
They also said the prime minister was for lifting all kinds of quota privileges in public service.
“The PM’s question-and-answer session is scheduled for today. The premier can respond to questions on any issue. Since she talks on recent issues, there might be a question on protests over the quotas,” ruling party’s Chief Whip ASM Feroze told Bangla Tribune.
Describing the PM as the country’s ‘guardian’, he said that the PM will “consider all aspects and definitely come up with a response that will satisfy the demonstrators and everyone else”.
According to the existing system, 56 percent posts are reserved for different quotas, including 30 percent for children of freedom fighters, 10 percent each for women and particular districts, 5 percent for small ethnic groups, and 1 percent for people with disabilities.
The demands by students and job-seekers include, 10 percent posts reserved for different quotas, fill up vacant reserved posts from merit list if there’s no eligible candidates and uniform age limit for aspirants.