Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader claimed that Bangladesh has the lowest quota in the Asian continent and said that in the case of recruitment in the BCS examination, recruitment is about 70 percent based on the merit list. In the three BCSs 33, 34, 35, 72 percent of the candidates were recruited on the basis of merit, while 28 percent were recruited on the basis of quota. The vacant posts are taken from the merit list. If candidates are not available in the quota where filling is done from the merit list, there is no justification for movement.
He said this at a press conference at the Awami League president’s office in Dhanmondi on Saturday (July 13).
Obaidul Quader said, Bangladesh is the least appointed on the basis of quota in South Asia. Currently, 60 percent of quotas are assigned in India, 92.5 percent in Pakistan, 45 percent in Nepal, and 50 percent in Sri Lanka. From these statistics, it can be seen that there is a need for quota in our socio-economic reality.
At that time, Obaidul Quader indicated that the anti-quota movement should be suppressed through the law, claiming that there is no justification for the movement outside the constitution.
He said, the demands and many statements of the anti-quota activists are against our constitution and the principles of running a constitutional state.
The Awami League General Secretary said, Article 19 of the Constitution regarding the governance of the state states that the state will take effective measures to ensure equitable distribution among citizens and to ensure equal opportunities for economic development throughout the republic in order to prevent social and economic inequality among people.
He also said that the constitution states that the participation of women in all aspects of national life should be ensured. But the inclusion of women in government jobs has been disappointingly low in the last few years.
Due to the lack of quota, only four women officers got a chance in the police, only two got a chance in the foreign service. In 50 districts women were not allowed to join cadre services. In 23 districts not a single person got a police job. The purpose of the mentioned provisions of the constitution is to ensure that everyone gets equal opportunities in all fields including government jobs. That is why the quota system has been kept.
In response to the question whether the Awami League will take any action for going against the constitution or the court, Quader said that the law will run at its own pace.