Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Monday overturned most of the government job quotas that sparked nationwide student protests that left at least 114 people dead, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The Supreme Court's Appellate Division has overturned a lower court ruling and ruled that 93% of government jobs in the South Asian country must be filled by candidates based on their qualifications, Bangladesh's Attorney General Amin Uddin told Reuters.
“The students have clearly stated that they are in no way part of the violence and arson that has been taking place in Bangladesh since Monday,“ he said.
“I hope that after today's ruling, normality will return and people with ulterior motives will stop inciting citizens,“ Amin Uddin added. "I will ask the government to find those responsible for the violence and take strict action against them," he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government scrapped the quota system in 2018, but a lower court reinstated it last month, ruling that only 56% of jobs could be filled by people based on their qualifications. That sparked student protests and a subsequent crackdown by government forces.
Bangladesh's internet and text messaging services have been suspended since Thursday. Soldiers patrolled the streets of the capital Dhaka, where military checkpoints have been set up, after the government imposed a curfew late on Friday.
The streets near the Supreme Court remained quiet after the ruling was announced this afternoon, a witness told Reuters. A military tank was positioned outside the courthouse, television footage showed.
Despite the decision, the main group of students who started the protests have indicated their intention to continue the demonstrations to denounce the remaining quotas for civil service recruitment.
“We will not stop our demonstrations until the government makes a decision that reflects our demands,“ a spokesman for the Students Against Discrimination association told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Earlier this morning, authorities extended the country's curfew until 3 p.m. (12 p.m. Bulgarian time), when the Supreme Court was due to rule. After a two-hour break during which people will be allowed to shop, the measure is expected to be reimposed at 5 p.m. for an “indefinite period“.