Quota System and Bangladesh Civil Service: In Nation Building Perspective

Abstract

The existing provision of job reservation, quota system, in Bangladesh Civil Service recruitment doesn't comply with the constitutional principles, but the recruitment system that reserves 56% job for five categories – freedom fighters, women, district, tribal and disabled – is being consistently upheld. The quota was introduced in 1972 in favour of backward section of citizens for the purpose of securing their adequate representation in the service, though backward section of citizens is not defined and no time frame was suggested for phasing out. However, with the passage of time, the provision has created a new discrimination in civil bureaucracy and has hindered, if not spoiled, the nation building process. The paper principally aims at disseminating the overall scenario of quota-dominated entry level recruitment in civil service and its consequences in the nation building process. The paper suggests for complete abolish the discriminatory quota provision, which has been backfiring for many years, or reform its distribution for securing nation building.