Bangladesh’s top court has scrapped most of the quotas on government jobs that had sparked violent clashes across the country that have killed more than 100 people.
A third of public sector jobs had been reserved for the relatives of veterans from the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.
But now the court has ruled just 5% of the roles can be reserved for veterans’ relatives.
Law Minister Anisul Huq said he welcomed the verdict. It is unclear how protesters will respond, with at least one student leader calling for demonstrations to continue.
Shah Manjurul Haque, a lawyer for petitioners who wanted the quotas kept in place, called the supreme court ruling “historic” and urged calm.
“Let everyone accept this verdict,” he told a press briefing, adding that “students should go home” and urging “third parties” not to “fish in the muddy waters” of the dispute.
However a spokesman for one of the student groups was quoted by AFP as saying the protests would continue.
“We welcome the Supreme Court verdict,” a spokesman for Students Against Discrimination told AFP. “But we won’t call off our protests until the government issues an order reflecting our demands.”
Some protest leaders have reportedly been arrested. Others are demanding justice for those killed in the clashes.
Streets in the capital Dhaka are deserted as a second day of curfew is in force, but sporadic clashes continued even after the supreme court ruling.
About 115 people are known to have died but local media report a much higher casualty figure. At least 50 people were killed on Friday alone.
Credit: bbc.com
