In July 2024, Bangladesh's long-contentious civil service quota system triggered huge protests among students, culminating in the July Uprising – a movement that climaxed with the ouster of the Awami League government.
When students demanded an end to a system they believed was outmoded, discriminatory, and excluded qualified candidates in 2013, they were dealt with by iron-fisted law enforcement officials and regime loyalists, particularly those engaged with the Bangladesh Chattra League, often in brutal fashion.
When similar protests erupted in 2018, challenging the fact that 56% of entry-level government jobs were reserved, 30% for freedom fighters and their descendants – the "agitators" were accused of being "anti-liberation" by ruling party members, further politicising the battle.
Although there was wanton violence on that occasion as well, exemplified by a brutal attack on protestors at Rajshahi University, the continued pressure led to the withdrawal of certain quotas.
That is, until the Supreme Court's decision in 2024 to reverse the government decision made in 2018.
This ruling caused widespread anger, eventually leading to massive protests that culminated in the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The historic moment was emphasised by strong calls for meritocracy, transparency, and democratic reform, bringing Bangladesh's political future and social fairness into clear focus.
The system has now been largely dismantled, with only 7% of government jobs currently reserved under quotas in Bangladesh, but the spectre of the past continues to loom large.
Apart from recent Bangladeshi history, the issue of quotas in employment has historically been a contentious one.
The Backstory: Quotas Before Bangladesh
British India
- The Indian Civil Service (ICS) favoured British elites.
- By the 1930s, Indian leaders had pushed for communal quotas in provincial services and legislatures.
One of the most vocal advocates was BR Ambedkar, who championed political safeguards for the so-called "Depressed Classes" (now Scheduled Castes). He argued that true equality required structural guarantees, not just rhetoric.
"We must have the right to adequate representation... to safeguard our interests and to prevent the majority from monopolising power."
— Dr BR Ambedkar, Round Table Conference, London, 1930
- The 1935 Government of India Act established reservations for Muslims, Scheduled Castes, Sikhs, and Christians to protect minorities. However, many viewed it as yet another divide-and-rule technique.
- While quotas were not formalised in ICS hiring, appointments were frequently affected by religion and caste identities, leaving a legacy that shaped succeeding institutions in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Pakistan
The downfall of the British Raj came with its own quota, with Muslims and Hindus segregated into India and Pakistan. Deeper still, West and East Pakistan continued to battle with quotas as well.
West Pakistan held a disproportionate amount of power over its neighbours in the East, allocating the lion's share of resources to its cause. Alongside this was a quota system which allocated jobs and resources based on region and ethnicity, often favouring West Pakistanis.
Pakistan established regional and ethnic quotas in the civil service following 1947 to balance representation.
Since the 1950s, jobs have been designated for:
- Residents from Punjab, Sindh (urban/rural), KP, Balochistan, FATA, and AJK
- Minorities, 10% for women, 2% for the disabled
East Pakistan's marginalisation under this system would eventually have an impact on Bangladesh's quota mechanism. Together, British and Pakistani institutions left behind a structure in which identity shaped opportunity, which Bangladesh adopted after 1971.
Bangladesh's Quota Story
1972: Liberation to Legislation
Following independence, Bangladesh introduced quotas to address the social wounds left by the war. Under that system:
- 30% of civil service jobs were reserved for freedom fighters
- 10% for women affected by war atrocities
- 40% for candidates from underdeveloped districts
- 20% for merit-based hiring
1985–2010: Expansion and Entrenchment
- Quotas widened to include ethnic minorities and disabled candidates, plus all women, not just war victims
- Eligibility extended from freedom fighters to their children (1997), then grandchildren (2010)
- Merit-based recruitment was available only for 44%, raising concerns about fairness and efficiency
The Numbers Now (Post–2024 Verdict)
- 93% → Merit-based
- 5% → Descendants of freedom fighters
- 1% → Indigenous and ethnic minorities
- 1% → Disabled and third gender
- 0% → Women's and district quotas (abolished)
Politicisation, Favouritism, and Fake Certificates
Over time, the freedom fighter quota became politically sensitive and controversial. Critics contend that the system has been exploited by the powerful rather than the marginalised.
Many saw the expansion of privileges to grandchildren under the Awami League rule as a strategy to reward supporters while also securing a bureaucratic base.
Multiple investigations and media reports revealed the following:
- Falsified freedom fighter certificates were used to obtain benefits.
- AL leaders assisted people in obtaining fraudulent status as descendants of liberation fighters.
Global Context: Quotas Around the World
India
- Around 50% of public jobs and college seats in India are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backwards Classes (OBCs), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
- Critics like Justice MN Venkatachaliah and Justice BP Jeevan Reddy argued that India's quota system benefits a "creamy layer" of socially advanced individuals within backwards groups. Scholars like Yogendra Yadav and Ramachandra Guha warn that this creates elite capture, leaving the most marginalised behind.
South Africa
- The Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy requires racial representation in hiring, education, and procurement, even applying in sports and university admissions.
- BEE has boosted Black South Africans' access to jobs, education, and business ownership, helping to dismantle apartheid-era barriers.
- It has also been criticised for enabling elite capture, where benefits often go to well-connected individuals rather than the poorest communities.
Brazil
- Since 2012, federal universities have used racial quotas tied to state demographics.
- Brazil's racial quota system has increased enrollment of Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous students in federal universities, promoting greater diversity.
- However, it faces criticism for primarily benefiting middle-class minorities who have better access to preparatory resources, leaving poorer students behind.
European Union
- A 2022 directive mandates 40% women on corporate boards by 2026
- The directive accelerated gender diversity on corporate boards, increasing women's representation in leadership roles
- Some argue the mandate may lead to tokenism or question whether quotas address deeper issues of gender inequality in the workplace
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