Quota system of Bangladesh Civil Service

The quota system of Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) is a recruitment policy that reserves a percentage of civil service job positions for specific demographic groups. These include descendants of freedom fighters from the Bangladesh Liberation War, ethnic and religious minorities, residents of underrepresented districts, and persons with disabilities.

While all applicants must pass preliminary and written examinations, quotas are applied during the final stage of recruitment, particularly in the viva voce (oral interview).

Functioning as a form of affirmative action, the quota system aims to improve representation for historically marginalized or underprivileged communities. By 2010, eligibility was extended to include not only children but also grandchildren of freedom fighters.

However, from the 35th to 40th BCS examinations, many reserved posts went unfilled due to a shortage of qualified candidates, while a majority of successful applicants (around 65%) were recruited on merit, despite only 44% of the positions being allocated for merit-based selection.

The system has been a consistent focus of national controversy and protest, giving rise to the quota reform movements, which unfolded in three major phases. The first phase occurred in 2013, followed by a second and more widespread phase in 2018, which prompted the government to announce the abolition of the quota system for first and second class public service posts.

In 2024, a third and final phase of the movement emerged after the High Court Division ruled that the 2018 abolition lacked legal standing and ordered the reinstatement of the quota policy.

The High Court verdict was subsequently stayed by the Appellate Division as the Government of Bangladesh challenged the ruling. On 21 July 2024, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh issued a decision reducing the scope of quotas, thereby raising the merit-based recruitment share to 93% of available positions.