SC orders merit-based republication of 46,199 primary teacher recruitment results, upholds jobs of 6,531 teachers
He said around 84% of the posts were filled under quota provisions.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today (9 July) ordered the republication of the results of the 2023 primary school assistant teacher recruitment examination for 46,199 candidates in the Dhaka and Chattogram divisions, directing that the results be prepared based on merit rather than the quota system.
The apex court also directed the government to appoint 151 writ petitioners as assistant teachers within the next 60 days.
The verdict was delivered by the Appellate Division, headed by the chief justice.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Senior Advocate Tajul Islam, who represented the petitioners, said the recruitment process originated from a 2023 circular under which appointments were made according to the quota system then in force.
He said around 84% of the posts were filled under quota provisions.
According to Tajul Islam, 151 candidates challenged the recruitment process before the High Court, arguing that following the Supreme Court's quota judgment delivered after the July movement, recruitment should have been conducted primarily on merit, with 93% of appointments based on merit.
The High Court subsequently declared the recruitment process illegal and directed the authorities to appoint the 151 petitioners. The government later challenged that verdict before the Appellate Division.
Tajul Islam said the Appellate Division disposed of the appeal by issuing three directives.
"The first directive is that the 151 writ petitioners must be appointed within the next 60 days," he said.
"The second directive is that the results of the 46,199 candidates who participated in the recruitment examination must be republished in light of the Supreme Court's judgment in CP No 2516 of 2024, which struck down the quota system," he added.
He further said the court's third directive was that the appointments of 6,531 assistant teachers who were recruited while the case was pending before the Supreme Court would remain valid in the interest of justice.
According to Tajul Islam, the ruling effectively nullifies the previous quota-based recruitment framework applied in the recruitment process and reaffirms the Supreme Court's earlier directive to prioritise merit-based appointments.
