The top court scales back – but does not abolish – a contentious quota system that led to deadly protests.
Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has scaled back a controversial job quota system after nationwide unrest over the past week during which more than 100 people were killed, according to local media.
Students have been demanding an end to a controversial quota system that reserved 30 percent of government jobs for descendants of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. They say the quota favours allies of the governing Awami League party, which led the independence movement against Pakistan.
The Supreme Court ordered that the quota for veterans’ descendants be cut to 5 percent, with 93 percent of jobs to be allocated on merit. The remaining 2 percent will be set aside for members of ethnic minorities and transgender and disabled people.
Sunday’s verdict comes after weeks of demonstrations – mostly led by students – that turned deadly on Tuesday after groups linked to the Awami League attacked protesters. Campaigners have accused the police of using “unlawful force” against protesters.
Student groups responsible for organising the protests have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision but decided to press on with demonstrations until their key demands are met, including the release of those jailed and resignations of the officials responsible for the violence.
Earlier, the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina imposed a curfew, called in the army and gave shoot-at-sight orders to quell the biggest protests since her re-election to a fourth successive term this year.
Since last week, universities have remained shut and Bangladesh has been cut off from the outside world due to a communications blockade. Violence continued to escalate as police used tear gas, fired rubber bullets and hurled smoke grenades to scatter stone-throwing protesters.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the curfew, which was imposed before the top court ruling, would be eased for two hours for people to stock up on supplies before continuing for an “uncertain time”.
Hasina’s previous government scrapped the quota system in 2018, but the High Court reinstated it last month, sparking a new round of protests and an ensuing government crackdown. Attorney General AM Amin Uddin told the AFP news agency on Sunday that the top court dubbed the last month’s High Court verdict “illegal”.
However, Hasina defended the quota system, saying veterans deserved the highest respect for their contributions in the war against Pakistan, regardless of their political affiliation.
The attempt by the governing party officials and ministers to paint the demonstrators as “antinational” further angered the protesters.
The cutting off of phone and internet connections created an “information blackout”, reported Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury from the capital, Dhaka.
The harsh crackdown has fuelled even more anger towards the government, pushing protesters to move beyond calling for quota reform to demanding the government’s resignation.
“It’s not just the issue of quotas right now. Many people died, property was destroyed, and there’s an information blackout,” Chowdhury told Al Jazeera.
“We still don’t know the full account of the death toll and casualties from the last few days.”
Ali Riaz, professor and political scientist at Illinois State University, said the protest movement “transformed” into an existential threat to the government, which called on protesters to await the outcome of the top court verdict.
“Bangladesh is standing at a crossroads,” Riaz told Al Jazeera. “I think the government will survive politically speaking … on the other hand if the protesters can persevere, they might actually push the government to resign.”
Hasina’s government has declared Sunday and Monday as public holidays, with only emergency services allowed to operate.
