“Sheikh Hasina might not have had to flee the country like this. She could have remained in power. But in the end, it was the children of the freedom fighters who brought about her downfall over the quota issue. Sheikh Hasina had to flee the country.” Obaidul Hossain made these remarks yesterday while discussing Sheikh Hasina’s flight to India, the fall of the Awami League government, and the current situation in the country at Jasim Uddin in Uttara, Dhaka.
He mentioned that Sheikh Hasina and her government always sought to provide extra benefits to the freedom fighters. The freedom fighters, their families, and even their grandchildren were given allowances. Across the country, the wives and children of freedom fighters were provided with shelter. However, Sheikh Hasina resisted revising the quota system.
Obaidul Hossain, who is fifty years old, stated, “I was very young during the liberation war, still in my mother’s arms. I didn’t witness much of the war. But Sheikh Hasina’s affection for freedom fighters was commendable. Those who truly fought for the country deserve recognition. However, providing jobs to their grandchildren through quotas undermines the spirit of our independence.”
He added, “Sheikh Hasina focused solely on the freedom fighters and their descendants, giving them priority. But what about those who were martyred during the war? Their children grew up in hardship and often couldn’t achieve much in life. Their needs should have been addressed as well.” Obaidul, whose father was killed by the Pakistanis during the war, expressed his disappointment.
He also acknowledged that many of the so-called freedom fighters listed today are fraudulent. In his hometown of Rangpur, as well as in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, and Narsingdi, he noticed that many people falsely claimed to be freedom fighters to get on the official list, which angered him.
Discussing the quota system, he questioned why jobs were given to the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters despite them already receiving houses and allowances. He claimed that many officials who fled or resigned after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government were appointed through this quota system. These were the people who supported Sheikh Hasina and helped her stay in power despite opposition and protests. “Visit their hometowns, and you’ll find they were appointed through the quota,” he said.
He added, “No tyranny lasts forever. Sheikh Hasina has insulted her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, through her autocratic rule. Sheikh Hasina and her close associates are solely responsible for the tarnishing of Sheikh Mujib’s legacy. Her stubbornness and arrogance led to her downfall. The Awami League, which once led the independence war, is now facing its demise.”
On October 4, 2018, during student protests, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular revising the existing quota system for direct recruitment to government offices, autonomous or semi-autonomous institutions, and various corporations. The circular, amending a previous memorandum from March 17, 1997, stated that recruitment for Grade 9 (formerly Class 1) and Grade 10-13 (formerly Class 2) positions would be based on merit, effectively abolishing the quota system for these grades.
In response, Ahidul Islam, a job seeker and son of a freedom fighter, along with six others, filed a writ in 2021 challenging the validity of the circular. On December 6, 2021, the High Court issued a ruling questioning the legality of the circular. After a final hearing, on June 5, 2024, the High Court declared the circular invalid, thereby reinstating the quota system for grades 9 to 13.
The next day, on June 6, students began a movement against the restoration of the quota system, demanding its abolition. Due to Sheikh Hasina’s stubbornness and dismissive attitude towards the students, the movement escalated. After the deaths of hundreds of students in clashes with the police, Chhatra League, and Jubo League, the movement turned into a broader campaign to overthrow the government. By early August, Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh with the help of the army and sought refuge in India after resigning on August 5. Thus ended the chapter of Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League in Bangladesh.