After days of deadly protest that saw over 114 people dead, Bangladesh's top court on Sunday scrapped the controversial quota system for government jobs. The court's Appellate Division dismissed a lower court order that had reinstated the controversial quota system that reserved up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971.
The top court on Sunday directed that 93% of government jobs will be open to candidates on merit, without quotas. Of the remaining 7 per cent, 5 per cent will be set aside for the relatives of veterans who fought in the war, one per cent is reserved for tribal communities, and another one per cent for people with disabilities or identifying as third gender.
Shah Monjurul Hoque, a lawyer involved in the case, told AFP that the court had also asked protesting students "to return to class" after issuing its verdict.
This came after the nation plunged into chaos after deadly clashes between police and protesters.
Though the controversial quota system was scrapped by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government in 2018, the lower court reinstated it last
month, sparking the protests and ensuring a government crackdown.
Angry students took to the streets, clashing with the police which fired tear gas and rubber bullets and hurled smoke grenades. Sporadic clashes in some parts of Dhaka, the capital, were reported on Saturday but it was not immediately clear whether there were any fatalities.
Though Bangladeshi authorities haven't shared any official numbers of those killed and injured, local media reported that at least 103 people have died so far.
