Bangladesh scraps most job quotas that sparked riots
Bangladesh’s top court on Sunday scaled back a controversial quota system for government job applicants after it led to nationwide unrest and deadly clashes between police and protesters that killed scores of people. The Supreme Court in its verdict ordered 93 percent of government jobs to be allocated on a merit-based system, leaving the remaining seven percent for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971 and other categories.  Earlier, the system reserved 30 percent of such jobs for the relatives of war veterans. Sunday's verdict comes after weeks of demonstrations — mostly led by students — that turned deadly on Tuesday after protesters began clashing with police.  During the week, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets and hurled smoke grenades to scatter stone-throwing protesters who filled the streets and university campuses.  Sporadic clashes in some parts of Dhaka, the capital, were reported on Saturday but it was not immediately clear whether there were any fatalities. Bangladeshi authorities haven’t shared any official numbers of those killed and injured, but the Daily Prothom Alo newspaper reported Saturday that at least 103 people have died so far. Ahead of the court's hearing, soldiers patrolled cities across the South Asian country, while a nationwide curfew and an internet blackout remained in force.  Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the curfew will be relaxed from 3 pm to 5 pm on Sunday for people to run essential errands. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has declared Sunday and Monday as public holidays, with only emergency services allowed to operate. (AP)