The Chakri Protyashi Pratibandhi Graduate Parishad, a platform of job-seeking graduates with disabilities, has announced a continuous sit-in protest at Shahbagh in Dhaka starting at 10am on October 12.
The protest aims to press for the reinstatement of the disability quota in government jobs and demand inclusive recruitment opportunities across all public service categories.
The platform stated that memorandums were submitted on September 5 to the Chief Adviser’s Office and relevant ministries, urging immediate action.
“We urge the government to take effective steps to fulfill our demands by October 11. Otherwise, we will start a continuous movement at Shahbagh from October 12,” the group declared in a statement.
Long struggle for inclusion
Organizers said that their campaign for inclusion dates back to 2018, when the then-government abolished all quotas in public service following the quota reform movement.
Since then, the platform has staged demonstrations, human chains, press conferences, filed legal petitions, and even met with the former prime minister during the previous administration.
Although the then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina assured Parliament that “special recruitment opportunities will be arranged for persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities,” no concrete steps were taken.
The movement to reinstate the disability quota has continued ever since.
Md Ali Hossain, convener of the platform, said the exclusion of persons with disabilities from public service is rooted in a long and complex history.
The quota system for orphans and persons with disabilities in third- and fourth-class government jobs was first introduced in 1997, allocating 10%.
However, there was no provision in first- and second-class jobs until 2012, when a nominal 1% quota was introduced.
“Even then, not a single candidate with disabilities was recruited into the cadre service under that quota,” Hossain said.
“Many qualified candidates with disabilities participated in preliminary, written, and viva exams, yet none were appointed through the quota system. When all quotas were abolished in 2018, the provision for third- and fourth-class jobs technically remained.”
“But later, through inter-ministerial meetings, some ministries quietly amended their recruitment rules—retaining other quotas but dropping the disability quota altogether.”
“Thousands of university graduates with disabilities were shut out of public employment,” he said.
In July 2024, amid renewed debate over quotas, the government reinstated several categories: 5% for freedom fighters, 1% for ethnic minorities, and only 1% for persons with disabilities and the transgender community combined.
According to the latest Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) survey, 2.8% of the country’s population are persons with disabilities.
“For such a large segment of citizens, allocating only 0.5% of public service positions is completely unacceptable,” Hossain said.
Key demands
The Chakri Protyashi Pratibandhi Graduate Parishad has outlined a series of demands aimed at ensuring equitable access to public service for persons with disabilities.
Foremost among these is the reinstatement of disability quotas across all categories of government jobs.
The platform is calling for a 2% quota in first- and second-class positions, and a 5% quota in third- and fourth-class roles, with strict enforcement at every stage of the recruitment process—from preliminary examinations to viva voce.
To facilitate fair participation, they are urging the chief adviser to issue a special recruitment order that would institutionalize these provisions.
Additionally, the platform demands that candidates with disabilities be allowed to select their own scribes during examinations, ensuring a more personalized and effective support system.
They are also advocating for the reservation of specific posts within the Department of Social Services for visually impaired applicants, recognizing the need for targeted inclusion.
They propose extending the maximum age limit for job applications to 35 years for persons with disabilities, acknowledging the systemic delays and barriers that often hinder timely access to employment opportunities.
‘We will not leave the streets’
Ali Hossain reiterated the urgency of their demands: “Memorandums were submitted on September 5; if no action is taken by October 11, continuous protests will begin at Shahbagh from October 12. We will not leave the streets until our demands are met—even if it requires hunger strikes.”
“We are educated, qualified, and capable. Yet due to policy gaps and social perceptions, we are repeatedly deprived. This is not only a personal loss but also a barrier to national development,” he added.
The Parishad warned that if the government fails to respond within the deadline, the protest will escalate and tougher programs will follow.
