Though the government has abolished the quota system in first class public service, it is preparing a policy for persons with

Protesters demanding reinstatement of freedom fighters' 30 percent quota in class-I and class-II government jobs continued their demonstration in the city's Shahbagh for the third straight day yesterday.

The cabinet has approved a high-powered government committee's decision to abolish the existing quota system for class-I and class-II jobs in the civil service.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam will give expert opinion about the quota for freedom fighters' children and grandchildren in the civil service to the government by Monday.

Students demanding civil service quota reforms came under attacks in Dhaka and Rajshahi allegedly by BCL men yesterday while a leader of the platform spearheading their movement was arrested.

Rejecting the decision of scrapping quota system in government service recruitment, left-leaning political parties demand rational reformation of it.

Bangladesh Chhatra League expels its 24 leaders and activists in connection with the attack on students at Sufia Kamal Hall of Dhaka University on April 10 for taking part in quota reform demonstration.

The gazette on quota for civil service will be published in due time, Bangla daily Prothom Alo reports quoting Mojammel Haque Khan, senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration.

Transport system in the capital and other parts of the country collapsed yesterday as thousands of students demonstrating for reforms in the civil service quota system blocked key points in the capital and major highways. Commuters remained stuck for several hours in their vehicles on city roads and highways amid sweltering heat.

The present quota system has been alleged to deprive many meritorious students from getting jobs in the Bangladesh public service. General students all over the country have been protesting it saying this present quota system should be reformed including a reduction in the number of quota-based government jobs, and merit-based recruitment in vacant posts in case of unavailability of eligible candidates for quota-based jobs, and same age limit for all jobseekers.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says the quota system in government jobs for freedom fighters, their children and grandchildren will continue.