I don’t understand logic behind anti-quota movement: PM Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said she is unable to understand the logic behind the movement against the quota system in government jobs.

“What’s the reason behind such a sudden movement against the quota system? We don’t understand,” she said.

The Prime Minister was speaking at the inaugural function of electronically distribution of honorary allowances among freedom fighters to their bank accounts (government to person) in Cox’s Bazar through a video conference from her official residence Ganobhaban.

She said those who appear in PSC examinations have to go through a serious scrutiny before getting any job. “Aren’t those who appear in the exams brilliant? All are brilliant here; the PSC exams are very much tough, without being brilliant nobody can appear in these exams!”

The Prime Minister said one cannot pass the PSC exams if he or she is not brilliant. “Those who’re very much talented can go through the PSC exam process, and they get the government job,” Hasina said.

She mentioned that the government has introduced the non-cadre job from PSC exams. “How much talented are they to utter that those who are getting job through PSC exams are not brilliant, how dare they talk such nonsense?” Hasina asked.

Regarding the violent movement, the Prime Minister said she could understand the movement, but she is unable to understand the logic behind ransacking the house of the Dhaka University Vice Chancellor at midnight, entered his bedroom and looted valuables, including golden ornaments and cash.

“We, as the DU students, cannot believe the agitators being its students can enter the VC’s house… we cannot believe that any student can do that. I feel ashamed of thinking this, and if that involved persons are students then it’s more shameful for us,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the anti-quota movement is indirectly against the facility for freedom fighters and their family members to get government jobs.

She said the AL government has ensured the quota for the freedom fighters and their family members so that they could take part in running the republic.

“When an anarchic situation erupted in the name of anti-quota movement, I had declared to remove the quota system, but we’ve to look after that the anti-liberation element and war criminals so that cannot return to power and cannot get position in any government job,” the Prime Minister said.

She mentioned that there was a writ in the High Court about freedom fighters quota and as per its verdict the unfilled posts should be lying vacant. “But, the government moved the Appellate Division seeking a review. The Appellate Division said the vacant posts can be filled with persons from the merit list.”

“I feel pity, when I see educated, knowledgeable persons, even university teachers and retired public servants in the talk-show talk against the quota system, they never say these students committed a very bad job attacking the DU VC’s house. What could be worse than this for a DU student? They never talk about this; even they don’t know anything about the directives of the Appellate Division,” she bemoaned.

The Prime Minister said the government cannot fully scrap the quota system due to the HC verdict. But, the government formed a committee regarding the matter to further examine it. “We cannot disobey the HC verdict.”

She said those who are talking about the quota system do not have any idea of the HC verdict or the Appellate Division directives. “They cleanly forget those things.”

Sheikh Hasina, also the chief of the ruling Awami League, said she never minds when the barristers and knowledgeable persons of BNP talked about this as they are always experts in uttering lies. “They’ll say what they want and it does not matter at all.”

But, she said, how the teachers could make such mistakes.

Some 342 freedom fighters of Cox’s Bazar will get the allowance directly through electronic system.

Later, the Prime Minister talked to the beneficiaries through a video conference.

She asked the local administration, public representatives and people to look after the Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar. Besides, she directed them to make sure the local people must not suffer due to the influx of the Rohingya refugees.

Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Huq delivered the welcome speech on the occasion. Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Liberation War Ministry Cap (retd) AB Tajul Islam was present.

Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman conducted the event, while Liberation War Affairs Secretary Aparup Chowdhury made a presentation on the honorary allowance of freedom fighters.

In his presentation, the Liberation War Affairs Secretary said a total of 1,86,404 people get freedom fighters’ honorary allowance across the country.

Hasina said the people of Bangladesh have a glorious history of sacrifice, and her government has been working tirelessly so that the achievements on education, healthcare, poverty reduction and food security cannot go in vain.

She mentioned that various allowances are being provided to freedom fighters and their families so that they do not face any sufferings.

As part of such initiative, she said, the distribution of their honorary allowances through electronic system has been introduced from today and it would be expanded in all parts of the country in phases.

The Prime Minister said those who had grabbed power illegally distorted the Liberation War history, destroyed the spirit of independence and politically rehabilitated the war criminals by giving them voting rights.

Besides, they handed over the national flags earned through huge blood of millions of martyrs to the anti-liberation forces and made them ministers, MPs and advisers, she added.

Returning to power in 1996 after long 21 years, the Prime Minister said her government reestablished the spirit of the Liberation War and undertook massive programmes to awaken the spirit across the country.