Bangladesh in turmoil

THE violence that has claimed over 100 lives in Bangladesh has shown the Sheikh Hasina government in a poor light. The ruling dispensation should have anticipated disturbances after the High Court reinstated in June the quota that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence; the Hasina regime had earlier halted the quota in 2018 following large-scale student protests. The new round of protests caught the powers that be off-guard, as clashes broke out between the police and protesting students across the country.

Making a welcome intervention, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has slashed the contentious reservation. It has ordered that the veterans’ quota be cut to 5 per cent, with 93 per cent of the jobs to be offered on merit; the remaining 2 per cent will be set aside for members of ethnic minorities and some other groups. The ruling is expected to help in pacifying the protesters and restoring peace and normalcy. However, the high death toll must make the government do ruthless introspection.

The frustration among students over the shortage of good jobs should be addressed urgently. The quota provision has been under fire as it apparently benefits supporters of Prime Minister Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement. She had defended it on the grounds that veterans deserved the highest respect for their contribution to the liberation, regardless of their political affiliation. However, the PM cannot afford to ignore the present realities. A merit-based system for jobs will help Bangladesh sustain its impressive economic march. Hopefully, the government will implement the apex court’s order in letter and spirit. And there is also a lesson here for India, where unemployment is a major issue and several states have witnessed an uproar over quotas. Prioritising political considerations over ensuring a level playing field for recruitments is fraught with grave consequences.