Allocate 20pc of nat'l budget to education

In their manifesto prepared ahead of the upcoming national election, quota reformists yesterday urged all political parties to allocate 20 percent of national budget to the education sector and ensure jobs for youths on the basis of merit soon after graduation once they come to power.

Leaders of Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, the platform that spearheaded the quota reform movement, came up with the demands at a programme titled “Tarunyer Ishtehar Bhabna” (thoughts of youths regarding manifesto).

A total of 45 demands were placed that include bringing a logical reformation to the existing quota system in class-III and class-IV government jobs and raising the age ceiling to 35 from 30 for entering public service.

Their other demands include ensuring employment for youths on the basis of qualification, providing proper training to create entrepreneurs, holding public university admission tests centrally, forming a special cell to prevent question leak, shutting down evening courses at public universities and allocating 10 percent of university budgets to research.

They were supposed to hold the programme at the Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium of Dhaka University but later held it outside the auditorium as the university authorities withdrew permission for holding the programme just before it was about to begin.

Speaking at the programme, Nurul Haq Nur, joint convener of the platform, said they would send their demands in writing to all registered political parties.

“Initially we handed it over to Awami League, BNP and Oikyafront,” he said.

Convener of the platform, Hasan Al Mamun, said they have prepared the manifesto in light of youths' demands to build a hunger- and poverty-free, democratic country.

A 23-member delegation led by Nurul Haq Nur handed over a copy of their demands to AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and another 18-member delegation led by joint convener Faruk Hasan handed over a copy to BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

On October 4, the government scrapped the existing quota system in direct recruitment of Class-I and Class-II government jobs, autonomous/semi-autonomous institutions and various corporations in face of protests.