PM Hasina's govt to formally accept SC ruling on job quotas

• Nearly 150 people have died in violent nationwide protests. 
• SC overturned high court's decision which reinstated job quotas.
• Student group has given 48 hours to govt to meet their demands.
  

DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government is set to formally accept the country's Supreme Court's ruling which scrapped most of the quotas on government jobs — an issue which prompted deadly nationwide protests across the South Asian country in recent days.

The top court's Appellate Division on Sunday dismissed a lower court order that had reinstated the quotas, directing government jobs will be open to candidates on merit, without quotas.

Nearly 150 people have been killed in violent demonstrations across the country during clashes between the protesters and the Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies.

The protesters wanted authorities to overturn a high court decision last month that restored a quota system setting aside nearly 60% of government jobs for some people, such as families of those who fought in the 1971 war.

Following the court ruling, the student group leading demonstrations that have spiralled into deadly violence suspended protests on Monday for 48 hours, with its leader saying they had not wanted reform "at the expense of so much blood".

However, the student group leading the protest has given the government 48 hours to meet eight demands, such as a public apology from Hasina and the re-opening of university campuses shut when the violence began.

Calm prevailed in the capital, Dhaka and most major cities for a second day amid a curfew and an Internet and telecoms shutdown the government imposed after the protests erupted last week.

However, the security situation is still not entirely under control, the army chief, who toured the capital by helicopter on Tuesday morning, told reporters.

Meanwhile, officials have said that curfew is to be relaxed for four hours in the afternoon to allow people to buy essentials.

The acceptance is expected to be published in the government's formal record on Tuesday, media said, meeting one demand made by protesters.

A day earlier, PM Hasina blamed her political opponents for violence and said the curfew, imposed on Friday, would be lifted "whenever the situation gets better".