Bangladesh’s top court rolls back some job quotas after deadly protests, local media report
In 2018, the civil service quota system – which reserved more than half of civil service posts for certain groups – was scrapped following similar protests but in June the High Court reinstated it, ruling its removal unconstitutional. On July 10, the Supreme Court suspended the quotas for one month while it took up the case.
On Sunday, the country’s top court dismissed the earlier ruling that brought back the quotas, directing that 93% of government jobs will be open to candidates on merit, without quotas, Reuters reported citing local media.
Dozens of people have reportedly been killed and hundreds injured in the violence which saw demonstrators gather on streets and university campuses in the capital Dhaka and other cities.
Ahead of the ruling, Bangladesh on Sunday extended a curfew imposed on Friday to try to quell the violence and deployed soldiers to patrol the streets of the capital Dhaka, according to Reuters.
According to local media, the curfew was extended until after the Supreme Court hearing and will continue for an “uncertain time” following a two-hour break for people to gather supplies, Reuters reported.
CNN has tried to reach the prime minister’s office, home affairs ministry, and police, but mobile and internet services appear to remain mostly down across the country after a government-imposed blackout.
As of Saturday, internet monitoring site NetBlocks said activity had remained at around 10% for more than 48 hours since services were cut Thursday.
The world widely scrutinized the political turmoil in Bangladesh after the Supreme Court's ruling reversed the High Court's decision to reinstate the civil service quotas. Despite this, the unrest in Asia continued, leading to numerous casualties and injuries across several cities.
