The government cannot do anything on the quota reform issue until the Supreme Court process is totally completed, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said on Saturday.
“Even the government cannot make any announcement in this regard now - everyone knows this,” he said.
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The state minister was speaking at a press briefing organized at the Dhaka district Awami League office in Tejgaon on Saturday (July 13) afternoon.
He said the protesters are changing their demands from time to time, noting that there are three organs of the state--Executive, Judiciary and Legislature.
"If there is no understanding of how these three organs work, confusion arises. Again and again, they are changing their demands and seeking justice from every organ of the state.”
Arafat questioned why the quota protesters "are changing their demands from time to time".
“Those who are repeatedly changing their demands and creating public suffering in the name of the movement. They actually don't want reform of the quota system, they have other intentions,” he said.
"There is no chance to change the High Court order by protesting on the streets. The only way to change this is to go to the Supreme Court," Arafat stressed, adding that the apex court ruling explicitly stated that the doors of the court are always open for them to present their views.
The state minister said the protesters had started by demanding restoration of the government circular issued in 2018 over the quota system, which the High Court had scrapped in a judgment last month.
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Later, the government appealed against the High Court judgment and the demonstrators also joined the state party by appointing their lawyer, he said.
Responding to the government appeal, Arafat said the Appellate Division issued a status quo for four weeks on the subject matter which made the HC verdict inoperative and apparently restored the government circular on quota abolition - that the students favour.
Then the demonstrators placed their demand to the government for the formation of a commission to reform the quota system, Arafat said, adding that now they (protesters) are seeking legislative measures to press home their demand.
“It’s not the task of the judiciary or legislative, but the executive to find out a decision on the quota issue. So, the government has put in all its efforts to resolving the issue through exhausting the prevailing legal procedure,” he said.
The partial discloser of the full judgment of the HC also found that the court asked the government to reform the quota system, the state minister noted.
He further added: "A slogan is being given, 'Merit or Quota? Quota or Merit? Merit, Merit, Merit.' The slogan is very logical. I am in favor of this slogan. Of course, merit will be prioritized but quota is also needed."
“Quotas do not create discrimination. The purpose of quota is to eliminate discrimination against backward communities. The government is trying to eliminate discrimination and evaluate merit,” said the state minister.
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“General students want an evaluation of merit. I agree with this spirit. But while evaluating the merit, care should be taken to ensure that the backward people, the oppressed, the victims of deprivation, the freedom fighters who built this country and their families are not left behind,” he stated.