Freedom fighters (FFs) at a view-exchange meeting in the city on Thursday demanded that the 30 per cent quota for their descendants be reinstated in the government jobs immediately; otherwise the authorities will have to face strong nationwide agitation.
Rashidul Alam, convener of the Awami League Sub-committee on the Liberation War Affairs, in his chief guest's speech said the nation achieved independence through a bloody war joined by the freedom fighters responding to the clarion call of Awami League president and Father of the Bengali Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Bangabandhu's talented daughter Sheikh Hasina who has been at the helm of state power for the past straight 10 years has led the country towards amazing economic advancement and her leadership has been acclaimed by the global leaders who called her a roll model of democratic force, he said.
Alam, a wounded war hero and former secretary to the government, said, "The freedom fighters here have vowed to resist all the evil forces and elect the candidates with the "boat" symbol in the upcoming parliamentary election for continuation of the current development trend set by the government of Sheikh Hasina."
Several thousand freedom fighters and their descendants joined the meeting chaired by Awami League Chattogram city unit general secretary and Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation AJM Nasir Uddin.
The freedom fighters termed abolition of the quota system for their descendants in the BCS cadre and non-cadre jobs a clear violation of the Article 28(4) of the constitution.
The constitution has given a considerable power to the government to make special provision for the backward sections of the citizens, they observed.
And it was Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who included the quota system for the FFs in the government services as most of them came from the downtrodden sections of society, they noted.
Accordingly, the freedom fighters enjoyed the special quota in the first BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) examination held in 1973.
Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin categorically said the quota system in all levels of government jobs, including the class-1 cadre and non-cadre, will have to be reinstated as per provisions of the Constitution.
Freedom fighters from all districts under Chattogram division attended the meeting organised by Awami League Sub-committee on Liberation War Affairs at the city's International Convention Hall.
Leaders of Muktijoddha Sangsad from Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Noakhali, Chandpur, Laxmipur and Feni districts attended the meeting as special guests.
The freedom fighters at the event threatened to launch a nationwide strong agitation unless their demand (of reinstating the 30 per cent job quota) was met.
