Denying public job for not having land unacceptable: HC

The High Court Tuesday said barring someone from joining a government job if the individual does not have any land is unacceptable.

The court referred to the case of Meem Akter of Khulna who failed to join as a trainee constable of police due to permanent residential status even after topping the merit list.

The court said people like Meem should be encouraged for topping such competitive exams instead of refusing them what they are clearly deserving of.

"Every year, around 2,000 people lose their homes to river erosion. Do none of them qualify to get recruited by the government?" the court raised the question.

The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman ordered Deputy Attorney General Bipul Bagmar to inform the court of further updates about Meem Akter by Wednesday after talking to the concerned authorities.

Earlier, Supreme Court Lawyer Chanchal Kumar Biswas brought Meem's matter to the court's attention.

In a separate development, the district administration of Khulna has decided to provide Meem with a house under the government's housing scheme Ashrayan project.

In a similar incident in Barisal, Aspia Islam was also denied a job for the position of trainee constable of police after being found "landless" in police verification. Later, the Barisal district administration decided to provide Aspia with a house under the project.

Jurists said barring Aspia and Meem to join the police as trainee constables because they do not have a permanent address contradicts the constitution and other laws too.

Referring to the constitution, they say it is not obligatory for an individual or family to own land or to have a permanent address to get government jobs. Anyone who is a citizen of Bangladesh will be eligible to be employed by the republic.