The Appellate Division has set July 21 for hearing a government recent petition that sought cancellation of the High Court鈥檚 June 5 verdict on maintaining quotas in government jobs.
Its vacation chamber judge M Enayetur Rahim set the schedule following a special arrangement on Thursday as the Supreme Court remained on a vacation.
Earlier, law minister Anisul Huq told journalists at a briefing with high official of the government that they were trying to hold the court hearing on July 21, instead of the hearing that was scheduled for August 7, considering the violent situation in the country.
Attorney general AM Amin Uddin while briefing the journalists at his official residence on evening expected the Appellate Division would give its decision by 9:30am on July 21 after hearing the quota case on a priority basis.
He urged the anti-quota protesters to keep patience for two days until the Supreme Court disposed of the quota case.
He said that the government could not take any decision on quota reforms unless the Supreme Court disposed of the quota case.
The attorney general said that he would request the Appellate Division to cancel the High Court鈥檚 verdict of restoring the quota system, paving the way for the government to reform the system as per the demand of anti-quota protesters.
He said that being instructed by the government, he prayed to the chief justice, Obaidul Hassan, for making arrangements for hearing of the government petition on July 21.聽聽聽聽
The move came after anti-quota protesters intensified the movement across the country and has been observing blockades across the country.
At least dozen of people were killed so far since July 1 when students took to the streets demanding reform of the quota system.聽聽
The cabinet secretary on July 16 filed a petition with the Appellate Division seeking permission to appeal against a High Court verdict that asked the government to maintain quotas in recruitment of employees in the public service.
The secretary also prayed for extension of the status quo issued by the Appellate Division on July 10 enabling the government authorities to recruit officers without maintaining quotas as per the circular issued by the cabinet division on October 4, 2018, abolishing all forms of quotas.
The Appellate Division issued the status quo order for four weeks on July 10 asking the government to file a regular petition seeking permission to appeal against the High Court verdict by August 7.
It also adjourned until August 7 hearing of two provisional petitions鈥攐ne filed by the cabinet secretary on June 9 seeking a stay of the High Court verdict and the other by two Dhaka University students on July 9 seeking reform of the quota system.
The cabinet secretary in the appeal prayed for scrapping the High Court verdict on the quota, stating, 鈥楾he High Court cannot ask the government to formulate a policy in any manner; it is the prerogative of the executive to formulate its policy according to the requirements of the society.鈥�
鈥楾he Supreme Court ordered maintaining the 30 per cent quota in 2013 when there was a law for ensuring the quota system. But after changing the government鈥檚 policy by abolishing the quotas by the October 4, 2018 circular, the High Court cannot direct the government to make rules for ensuring quotas considering the present position of the government,鈥� the appeal continued.聽聽聽聽聽
The High Court on July 14 published its 27-page full verdict on the quota system.
The court in a short verdict on June 5 declared illegal a government circular issued on October 4, 2018, abolishing all quotas in recruiting employees in the public service, in the wake of student protests.聽聽聽聽
The High Court in its full verdict asked the government to maintain quotas for the children and dependents of freedom fighters, districts, women, physically challenged people and ethnic minority people in its recruitment of employees in the civil service.
Left, protesters set the police box on fire at Mirpur 10 roundabout and, right, a police member fires gunshot at the protesters at Jatrabari in Dhaka during the protest against the murder of students by the police and Ruling Awami League attackers. 鈥敹兑蹙� photo/ Md Saurav