HC questions 40% quota for railway employees’ dependents

High Court

The High Court today questioned the legality of a provision to keep 40 percent quota for the children of Bangladesh Railways employees in Bangladesh Raiilway.

The court issued the rule asking the government to show causes why the section 3(1) and (2) of the Bangladesh Railway Non-Cadre Recruitment Rules, 2020 that contains the provision should not be declared unconstitutional.

Secretaries at the ministries of Bangladesh Railway and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs have been made respondents to the rule returnable in four weeks.

The High Court bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolon issued the rule following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Rokonuzzaman.

He submitted the petition as a public interest litigation on May 26 to the High Court saying that the Bangladesh Railway has purposefully framed the rules by fixing the 40 percent quota for the children of its employees for their own benefits which is contradictory to the circular issued by the Ministry of Public Administration in 2018 about cancellation of quotas and articles 27, 29 and 31 of the constitution.

Due to preservation of 40 percent quota for jobs in 14th to 20th grades in the railway, there will be discrimination against others, the petitioner said.

Rokonuzzaman himself moved the petition while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state during hearing. - Special Correspondent