Quota system of Bangladesh Civil Service

Quota system of Bangladesh Civil Service refers to a quota present in the Bangladesh Civil Service for certain groups including descendants of freedom fighters from the Bangladesh Liberation War, religious and ethnic minorities, underrepresented districts, and disabled groups. In essence, it is an affirmative action plan for marginalized groups, as well as for descendants (now including grand-children) of former freedom fighters. The system was abolished in 2020 but was reinstated by a High Court verdict in 2024. The verdict was stayed by the Appellate Division while the government of Bangladesh took action to get the High Court order restoring the quota system squashed.

All candidates must pass all preliminary examinations and the quota is considered in the final oral interview stage. Government jobs provide better pay and benefit than private sector jobs in Bangladesh which creates demand for government jobs. The students of Bangladesh have protested at various times against the quota system and have argued that talented candidates were not being recruited due to the quota.

From the 35th to 40th Bangladesh Civil Service exams around 65 percent of students were recruited based on merit despite merit-based jobs being only 44 percent as enough candidates were not found for recruitment under the quota system.

History
Bangladesh Civil Service traces its origins to the Civil Service of Pakistan which was based on the Indian Civil Service of the British Raj. After the independence of Bangladesh, the Awami League government under president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established a quota for the Bangladesh Civil Service through an order of the Ministry of Cabinet Services. Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury, vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka, opposed the move and called for merit-based recruitment. The government gave a 30 percent quota to veterans of the Bangladesh Liberation War, referred to as freedom fighters, 10 percent to women who were victimized in the war, and 40 percent reserved for people from underrepresented districts. This left 20 percent of the jobs for merit-based candidates.

President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in 1975 and Awami League was removed from power. In 1976, the government of Bangladesh reduced the quota for people from underrepresented districts to 20 percent which increased jobs for merit-based candidates to 40 percent. As the jobs for women who were victimized in the war were unclaimed the quota was changed to include all women in 1985. The district-based quota was reduced to 10 percent. The government created a new five percent quota for indigenous communities of Bangladesh. This change in 1985 increased the merit-based jobs to 45 percent.

By 1997, 26 years after the Bangladesh Liberation War, freedom fighter recruitment decreased due to age and in response, the government of Bangladesh extended the quota to children of freedom fighters.

In 2008, Akbar Ali Khan, former civil servant and freedom fighter, and Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, civil servant, provided Dr. Saadat Hossain, chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission, a report on the quota system essentially describing it as a flawed system and calling for reforms. The report stated without reforms doubts would be raised on the qualification of recruits under the Bangladesh Civil Service Examination.

In 2010, the government of Bangladesh further extended the quota for freedom fighters to include their grandchildren. Bangladesh Public Service Commission added a one percent quota for disabled candidates in 2012. This decision decreased the merit-based jobs to 44 percent. Despite the 30 percent quota for children and grandchildren of freedom fighters recruitment in that category never exceeded 10 percent.

On 8 March 2018, the Bangladesh High Court rejected a petition challenging the legality of the quota system. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated on 21 March she intended to keep the quota for descendants of freedom fighters. Bangladeshi students protested against the quota. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued an executive order removing all quotas from the Bangladesh Civil Service. The protestors were demanding a reformation of the quota, not an abolition. On 1 July 2020, the decision to abolish quota became effective.

On 5 June 2024, the Bangladesh High Court issued a verdict that canceled the government notification, declaring it illegal, thus restoring the quota in Bangladesh Civil Service recruitment. The verdict was for an appeal filed by a descendant of a freedom fighter and six others in 2021 challenging the government order canceling the quota system. The government filed an appeal with the Appellate Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh. The students of public and private universities and colleges in Bangladesh launched the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement. The Appellate Division issued an order of status quo which halts the High Court verdict till the Appellate Division finishes its hearing on the government appeal. 400 protesting students were injured in attacks by pro-government Bangladesh Chhatra League and police. The protests took place in the backdrop of rising unemployment levels in Bangladesh. The protestors called themselves Students Against Discrimination movement.