A platform of freedom fighters’ descendents has urged the government to ban ‘children of individuals belonging to anti-liberation forces’ from joining government jobs.
The call under the banner, ‘Amra Muktijoddhar Sontan’ (Freedom Fighters’ Children) came on Saturday from a rally in Dhaka on Saturday.
It comes amid students and job-seekers waging protests demanding reforms to quotas in civil service.
The existing system reserves 56 percent posts under different quotas, including 30 percent for children of freedom fighters, 10 percent each for women and particular districts, 5 percent for ethnic minorities, and 1 percent for the disabled.
Amid demonstrations for quite some time, which, however, intensified earlier this month after police action on protesters, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced on Apr 11 of abolishing quotas.
“We want the government to declare the children of anti-liberation forces ineligible for the government job,” said Sajjad Hossain, president of the platform, at Saturday’s rally in front of the press club in Dhaka.
It also urged the government not to cut the quota allocated for them as well as dismiss children of anti-liberation forces in public service.
The platform rolled out its 9-point demand during the rally, which includes confiscation of assets of anti-liberation forces and banning their children from the civil service, reinstate 30 percent quotas for freedom fighters’ children, and banning the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir.