Appellate Division of the Supreme Court issued a status quo for four weeks regarding the High Court’s earlier order to reinstate the quota system in government jobs.
A five-justice bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order after hearing two petitions filed by the state and two Dhaka University students regarding the quota system’s reformation on Wednesday (10 July).
The court also directed the state to submit a leave-to-appeal against the High Court’s order within four weeks and urged protesting students to return to their classes, said Advocate Jahirul Islam, who represented the students.
On Tuesday, two quota protestors filed an application with the Appellate Division seeking a stay on the High Court’s order reinstating the freedom fighter quota in public service.
The Appellate Division scheduled the hearing for Wednesday.
The circular issued by the government in 2018 cancelling the 30% quota for the children of freedom fighters will remain in effect due to the stay order, lawyers said.
University students have been holding sit-ins, organising marches and blocking roads and highways, demanding the reinstatement of the 2018 quota cancellation circular since 2 June.
The 2018 rounds of quota reform protests were called off when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared the abolition of the system in April of the same year.
However, the High Court on 5 June of this year ordered the government to retain the 30% freedom fighter quota in government jobs.
It also declared the circular issued on 4 October 2018 cancelling the quota system as illegal.
Following the verdict, students announced their non-stop movement.
Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan urged the agitating students protesting against the quota system to stop their movement and return to their respective educational institutions after announcing the verdict.
Earlier, Appellate Division Chamber Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam fixed 10 July for the hearing on the issue.
Two students of Dhaka University applied for a stay of the High Court verdict.
