Quota reform movement: a protest against discrimination

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By Mehedi Hassan Munna

Recent quota reform movement has greatly convulsed not only to the the students and job seekers, but also all walks of people. The demonstrators have successfully enabled to spred the movement countrywide so far.

The running 55% quota preserved in governmement jobs for the freedom fighters' offspring and their grandchilds has been questioned after 45 years of independance. The quotasless job seekers, who are majority in number, have remarkably been deprived from their place where they could be adapted.

In this sequence,  on February 25, a memorandum was submitted to the Prime Minister on this issue. On March 4, the job seekers and students protested at Shahbag. Even the protests are still going on.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, "The quota allocated for the freedom fighters, their children and grandchildren will not decrease. But meritorious students will be chosen for the vacant posts."

Such a speech brings hope for many but most of them are still frustrated.
The main objective of the introduction of the quota system is to promote a backward class. To ensure the participation of Indians in the administrative service and to give privilege to the backward Indian, quota system was first introduced in British era. Later, the quota system was used in the interest of leading the backward Muslims.

According to the newspapers, the participation of ordinary students in the current quota reform movement is increasing. At one time the movement could gain a lot. The agitated students said that the present quota system is discriminatory. That is why they want to reduce the existing preferential quota. They proved their logic with data figures. At present, 56 percent of the first and second class government jobs are recruited through different priority quotas. The remaining 44 percent are recruited on the basis of merit. The quota provision has reduced the prospect of the jobs for the meritorious students. The Ministry of Public Administration says there is no possibility of reforming this system at this time. But after considering the preference quota, they will consider whether the terms are not to be kept vacant.

The protesters said that quota system was started to eliminate discrimination. Now this system itself is creating discrimination. The main reason for the intensity of anti-quota movements is the large unemployment problem prevailing in the country. According to statistics, our country already has 26 lac educated unemployed youths. The serious condition of unemployment problems in the country is easily understood by the number of applications in the BCS examinations. According to the statistics bureau, the number of applicants in the 38th BCS was 3 lac 27 thousand. The quota system is identified as the biggest barrier to employment opportunities. Thousands of posts are remaining empty due to the quota. The review of the result of 28-32 BCS shows that 4, 287 posts were left empty because there is no suitable candidate.

The 5-point demand made by the protesters is as follows-

1. Reforms the quota system to 10 percent,
2. Appointment from the merit list to vacant posts if no specific candidate is available in quota.
3. Not giving any kind of special examination in quota,
4. The general age limit for all government jobs should be increased
5. Quota facility is not used in recruitment examination more than once.

All this is a barrier to the normal development of merit. General students and job-seekers feel extreme frustration, anxiety and helplessness due to the above-mentioned issues. To end this situation, it is necessary to ensure all recruitments, including the BCS, only based on merit. Beneficiaries cannot take advantage of the state repeatedly.

It is said that if education is the backbone of the nation, then merit will be its heart. Brains keep the heart active. A nation creates its future with a combination of knowledge and education. The history of the world proves that the people who do not cherish merit cannot go ahead towards the path of progress. Due to quota, the administration is deprived of the talent every year, and it is the case of self-harming like `Brain drain`. So it`s time to think deeply about this topic.

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