Quota reform: Supreme Court orders 1-month status quo on HC verdict; CJ tells students to return to class
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has ordered a month-long status quo on the High Court's judgment to reinstate the freedom fighter quota system for first and second-class government jobs.
After a hearing for today (10 July) on two separate pleas, one from the government and the other from two Dhaka University students challenging the HC's judgment, the full bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order.
An order of status quo is an interim order that directs the parties involved to maintain the existing state of affairs or the current position of a property or matter until further determination by the court.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Speaking to reporters, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin confirmed the matter, saying, "That means, it shall remain as it is [for now]."
According to lawyers present in the court room, as a result of this order, the circular issued by the government in 2018 canceling the quota of freedom fighters remains in force.
Before passing on the order, the chief justice called on the students to return to class.
Addressing the students, the chief justice said, "Enough is enough. Now, concentrate on your classes."
The chief justice also said there will be a halt of four weeks on the judgment given by the HC.
A hearing on the quota issue will be held once the full verdict is received. Until then, the status quo will remain on the HC judgment.
We are reviewing the verdict. Our demand is to the executive branch of the government. We want a commission to be formed. Quota should be brought to a rational level.
During the hearing, he further said, "We will listen to both sides. As I have said before, the verdict cannot be influenced by protests. Protestors may have their views, and if they approach us through lawyers, we will listen to them and will consider their rights.
"But we can't protest on the streets, we can't destroy the environment," the chief justice said, urging the protesters to concentrate on their studies.
Since around 11am this morning, students of various government universities blocked the Shahbagh intersection and Science Lab area this morning, enforcing a day-long Bangla Blockade programme to press home their one-point demand of a quota reform for government jobs.
Hasnat Abdullah, one of the leaders of the students' movement for quota reforms, said the Appellate Division's stay order on the HC order was a strategy to stop the movement.
He said, "We are reviewing the verdict. Our demand is to the executive branch of the government. We want a commission to be formed. Quota should be brought to a rational level."
"The agitation will continue until a decision is taken from the executive branch," he added.
Since 2 July, university students have been holding sit-ins, organising marches and blocking roads and highways, demanding the reinstatement of the 2018 quota cancellation circular.
The 2018 rounds of quota reform protests were called off when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared the abolition of the system in April of the same year.
Although protestors had sought reformation, the PM said, "If we go for reforms [of the quota system], another group will come up after a few days and say 'we want further reforms'. This issue will keep coming if the quota system remains. But if it ceases to exist, there will be no problem. So, there's no need for having a quota system."
The HC on 5 June ordered the government to retain the 30% freedom fighter quota in government jobs.
It also declared illegal the circular issued on 4 October, 2018 cancelling the quota system.
Soon after the verdict, students announced their non-stop movement.
The quota system was introduced through an executive order in 1972 and was amended several times.
Since 1972, several public service reform committees and the Public Service Commission, the body that oversees government recruitment, objected to the policy.
