Zero deaths yesterday – curfew, general holiday continue today

No casualties were reported yesterday on the third day of the nationwide curfew imposed to control the deadly violence that spread across the country in the last few days, and the government announced to continue both the ongoing general holiday and the curfew today.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday consented to publishing the gazette today regarding the quota system in government jobs, the secretary of Public Administration Ministry, told The Business Standard last night.

The gazette is expected to be in line with the Appellate Division recommendations for 93% merit-based recruitment, 5% quota for freedom fighters' children, 1% for ethnic minorities and 1% for persons with disabilities and the third gender community.

Earlier, yesterday afternoon, the Ministry of Public Administration declared that the two-day general holiday, which started on Sunday, would be extended to one more day on Tuesday.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, on the other hand, said the curfew will also continue today and will be relaxed for four hours from 1pm to 5pm, like the previous day.

The government imposed the curfew on Friday midnight to control the widespread violence that spread across the country, including the capital, in connection with the quota protest.

Although, the violence was mostly under control in the last two days, both the curfew and general holidays have been kept in place as precautionary measures.

Most government and private institutions except emergency services such as hospitals, media are remaining closed amid the general holiday.

Mezbaul Haque, spokesperson of the Bangladesh Bank, said banks, insurances and financial institutions across the country will remain closed today due to the general holiday. However, bank services will be operational in a limited scale in land, sea and air ports.

Besides, the stock markets, courts will also remain closed.

On the other hand, people have been instructed to stay at home and not to come out to the streets without any logical reason during curfew.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday said, "Curfew will continue on Tuesday. The decision regarding the imposition of curfew in Dhaka district and metropolitan, Narayanganj, Narshinghdi and Gazipur district and metropolitan will be taken centrally. The decision regarding curfew in other districts will be taken by the respective district magistrates."

According to the Home Ministry, the military has been deployed in the country to maintain law and order situation and safeguarding people's lives and properties amid the curfew.

Gazette published

The government published the gazette following the Appellate Division decision of Sunday which scrapped the 5 June High Court verdict that had reinstated quota for freedom fighters' descendants for generations.

The court recommended that the government publish a gazette by fixing 93% merit-based recruitment in government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institution jobs.

No quota will be allotted for the grandchildren of freedom fighters, according to the judgement.

The government gazette mentioned that if candidates cannot be found for the posts reserved for a specific quota, they will be filled with contenders from the merit list.

While pronouncing the judgement, the court observed that the final decision on the quota ratio lies with the government, and the court's recommendations are not legally binding, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin told the media after the verdict on Sunday.

Following a countywide movement, led by students seeking quota reforms, the government on 4 October 2018 issued a circular announcing all quotas, including those for descendants of freedom fighters, in the first and second class government jobs illegal.

Later on 5 June of this year, the HC issued a verdict on the writ petition, cancelling the 2018 circular and reinstating the quota for the freedom fighters' descendants.

In protest against the HC order, students across the country launched a movement on 2 July demanding reform to the quota system.

Meanwhile, quota reform protest intensified across the country, leading to clashes with law enforcers and members of the political wings of the ruling Awami League.