Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury speaks at a discussion at the National Press Club in the city yesterday. On her left is Prof Moniruzzaman Mian and on her right are Prof Dr Asaduzzaman and Shahabul Haq.Photo: STAR

Fifty-five percent of non-merit quota in Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination is unconstitutional and it should be revised immediately to enhance the efficiency of the civil service, said the experts at a discussion yesterday.
They proposed that not more than 10 percent should be reserved for non-merit quota and time has come to rationalise the existing quota system both in cadre and non-cadre services.
The discussion titled 'Rationalisation of existing 55 percent non-merit quota in all public examinations including BCS' was organised by the students of Dhaka University (DU) who have been demanding revocation of the quota system for long time at the National Press Club in the city.
The discussion was participated by academics, bureaucrats, politicians and civil society members.
Former chairman of National Board of Revenue Badiur Rahman said the existing quota system has no constitutional base and the caretaker government should immediately abolish all kinds of non-merit quotas.
"The existing 55 percent of non-merit quota violates the article 29 of our constitution which speaks only about under-privileged group like ethnic. But 30 percent quota for freedom fighters or their offspring, 10 percent quota for district and 10 percent quota for women are not included in under-privileged group," he added.
Badiur proposed that only 10 percent quota for women and ethnic group can be reserved in non-cadre service, but there should not be any quota system in cadre services.
Prof Moniruzzaman Mian, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, said 55 percent of non-merit quota is not acceptable and most of the irregularities and corruptions are the results of quota system.
Former chairman of the University Grants Commission Prof Dr Asaduzzaman said freedom fighters fought the liberation war in 1971 for establishing a discrimination-free society, but a tremendous discrimination has been created due to existing 55 percent of quota system in the BCS examination.
Shahabul Haq of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology moderated the discussion where he suggested for keeping only 10 percent non-merit quota and 90 percent merit quota.
Journalist Sadek Khan, DU teacher Dr Akhtar Hossain, Dr Muzammel Haq, Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury, and former BNP MP Dr Abdur Rahman also spoke on the occasion.