Hill Voice, 21 November 2021, Special Correspondent: The Parbatya Chattagram Pahari Chatra Parishad (Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Student Council) has protested against the inconsistent inclusion of non-indigenous students in indigenous quota seats in higher education institutions.
A statement signed by the organization’s information, publicity and publications secretary Reng Young Mro on Sunday (November 21) said that many non-indigenous (Bengali) students have been included in the indigenous merit list of CUET, KUET and RUET integrated admission test for the 2020-21 academic year published recently.
Not only that, every year inconsistencies and irregularities in the distribution of indigenous quotas in different institutions of higher education are heard at different times, but in recent times it has increased alarmingly. Although the matter has been brought to the notice of the concerned authorities every year, but revealing of such inconsistent results every year is a matter of deep concern.
The statement further said that in accordance with the Section 10 of the Part (D) of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Accord signed between the Government of Bangladesh and the Parbatya Chattgram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) on 2 December 1997 as per the Article 29(3) of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh stipules, the Government shall maintain the quota system for the tribals in respect of government service and in institutions for higher studies until their attainment of parity with other regions of the country.
Despite this, according to an announcement made by the Prime Minister in Parliament in 2018, this quota system was abolished in 1st and 2nd class government jobs, which is unconstitutional and a clear violation of the CHT Accord.
In the statement, PCP strongly demanded to cancel names of non-indigenous students inserted in the indigenous seats and to include only indigenous students in the indigenous quota instead of inclusion non-indigenous students including reinstatement of 5% quota system in 1st and 2nd class government jobs and implementation of 5% indigenous quota in all higher education institutions in the field of higher education properly.
It is to be noted that recently the Integrated Admission Test Committee of University of Engineering and Technology reveals the name of Adivasi Quota of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (kUET) and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) for the 1st year graduation (honors) in the 2020-2021 academic year. Out of 37 students in the quota, 8 are non-indigenous students. The names of the published non-indigenous (Bengali) students are: Pratima Dey Emu (50956), Md. Nazmus Sakib (56279), Md. Ashraful Kabir Arif (62518), Rony Sarkar (66073), Md. Al Galib (70739), Sabiqune Nahar Niti (76478), Md. Rafael Shiam (76989), Md. Zahid Alam Noman (75689).
In addition, in the seat allotted for the indigenous quota of BDS course of Dental College in the academic year 2020-21, non-indigenous (Bengali) students namely Abu Md. Mostafa Kamal (Roll-5603750) of Sir Salimullah Medical College (Dental Unit) and Anjum Faria of Sylhet M A G Osmani Medical College (dental unit) have been announced and also in 1st year admission quota in Rajshahi University in the year 2020-21 academic year, four non- indigenous (Bengali) students namely Jahed Rahman (43226), Abdul Mazid (30393), Fahmid Hasan (53551), ASM Mushfiqur Rahman (72208) were included.
