The state has moved to suspend a recent High Court (HC) decision that reinstated the quota for freedom fighters in certain grades for direct recruitment in government jobs.

Assistant Attorney General Muhammad Saiful Alam confirmed that the petition was submitted to the relevant branch of the Appellate Division on Sunday.

Last Wednesday, the HC bench comprising Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat declared the government's 2018 decision to abolish the quota system illegal. This decision came after the final hearing of a writ petition filed by several individuals, including Wahidul Islam, the son of a freedom fighter.

In October 2018, following a widespread student movement, the government issued a circular canceling the 10 percent quota for women, the 30 percent quota for freedom fighters, and the 10 percent district quota for government jobs. The circular, issued by the Ministry of Public Administration, replaced the quota system for ninth grade (formerly first class) and 10th to 13th grade (formerly second class) positions with a merit-based system. However, the quota system for third and fourth-class posts remained intact.

The 2021 writ petition challenged the legality of the 2018 circular, leading to the HC's ruling on Wednesday to reinstate the quotas for ninth and 10th to 13th-grade positions.

The HC's decision has sparked protests from students at Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University, and other institutions across the country.