Bangladesh Supreme Court Scales Back Controversial Job Quotas Amid Violent Unrest

• Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has significantly reduced government job quotas that had sparked widespread protests and violent clashes, resulting in over 100 deaths.
• The court's decision overturns a lower court ruling that reserved about a third of public sector jobs for descendants of 1971 independence war veterans.
• The quotas, seen as favoring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s loyalists, were reinstated last month but faced strong opposition from university students and the public.
• The Supreme Court now mandates that 93% of government jobs be awarded based on merit, addressing public anger over economic distress and inequality.
• The unrest has led to a heavy-handed crackdown by security forces, including shoot-on-sight orders, curfews, and communication bans, drawing criticism from international bodies like Amnesty International.

Source: Financial Times