Bangladesh Court Scraps Most Job Quotas After Violent Unrest
Bangladesh’s highest court has eliminated most of the quotas for government jobs that had led to violent clashes across the nation, resulting in over 100 deaths. Previously, a third of public sector positions were reserved for relatives of veterans from the 1971 war for independence from Pakistan. The court has now limited this quota to just 5%.
The government has not yet addressed the court’s decision. As a curfew continues for a second day in the capital, Dhaka, the streets remain largely empty, though there have been sporadic clashes reported in some areas. There are also unconfirmed reports of arrests among some protest leaders.
Thousands of university students have been protesting for weeks against the quota system, arguing that it is discriminatory and should be replaced with merit-based recruitment. The response of the protesters to the Supreme Court ruling is uncertain, but some leaders are also calling for justice for those killed in the unrest.
At least 50 people were killed in clashes on Friday alone.
