Quota movement is discreet campaign against FFs children

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DHAKA, July 17, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today feared the
movement against quota system in government jobs was an inconspicuous
campaign against freedom fighters children’s priviledge but said her
government was looking into the matter without defying the apex court order
for its retention.

“We cannot ignore the court order and abolish completely the freedom
fighters quota (but) we have constituted a committee headed by the cabinet
secretary to look into the matter,” she said while inaugurating the
electronic alloance payment system for freedom fighters.

The premier said the government already decided that if the freedom
fighters children were not found to fill up the quota reserved for them,
candidates from the merit list would fill the positions in line with an order
of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Dividsion.

Sheikh Hasina opened the electronic payment system called G2P or
“Government to Person” for disbursing the freedom fighters monthly allowance
and other financial benefits through a video conference from her Gonobhaban
residence with officials, local public representatives, political leaders and
beneficiaries of Cox’s Bazar district. Liberation war Affairs Minister AKM
Mozammel Huq also spoke on the occasion while secretary of the ministry
Apurup Chowdhury gave a presentation on the overall activities of the
ministry. Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Md. Nojibur Rahman conducted
the programme.

Apurup Chowdhury said out of total 2,30,438 gazetted freedom fighters,
1,86,404 would would get the allowance through digital payment system and
each of them would get monthly allowance of Taka 10,000, two festival
bonuses, a new-year bonus and other financial supports.

The premier said Bangabandhu introduced 30 percent quota for Freedom
Fighters in government services after liberation along with 10 percent quota
for women and physically challenged persons and honoured every martyred
Freedom Fighters family offering them financial assistance despite the post
independent Bangladesh’s economic crisis.

Assuming office in 1996, she said, her government found no freedom fighter
as candidadate for the government jobs despite enhancement of their age
limit.

The premier said the situation prompted her government to introduce the
quota system for freedom fighters children and grandchildren to ensure their
stake in the country’s governance.

“But, some of our intellectuals who have no knowledge about the court
order are speaking for annulment of the freedom fighters’ quota in their
television talk-shows, writings and speeches,” she said. The poremier said at
one stage of a violent anti-quota movement by a group of rowdy students she
told the parliament that the system would be annulled though the movement and
subsequent attack on Dhaka University vice chancellor’s residence was
completely unacceptable. “We have to ensure that anti-liberation force and
war criminals cannot come to power again or hold any post in the government
machinery,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said after Bangabandhu’s brutal killing, the anti-liberation
forces ruled the country, distorted the nation’s history, destroyed social
and political fabrics and exposed the country to economc bankruptcy.

The prime minister said Bangabandhu founded the Muktizoddha Kalyan Trust
and endoweding it 32 business enterprises which were abandoned by Pakistani
owners after War of Liberation.

“(But) in the 1975 situation none could come up with freedom fighters
identity or as their family members,” the prime minister said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government after coming to power in 1996 took
initiatives to revive the glory of the independence and freedom fighters.

“We have taken such steps so that children of a freedom fighter can
proudly say that they are decedents of freedom fighters,” the prime minister
said.