Political identity cannot be grounds for denying govt jobs: Hasnat Abdullah

Political identity should not be used to deny an otherwise qualified citizen a government job, lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah has said, questioning the use of political considerations in government recruitment and verification.

Hasnat made the remarks in a post on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday.

He said the July mass uprising had created an important social consensus in Bangladesh: access to state opportunities should be determined by merit, qualifications and a fair process, rather than political identity.

“One of the most important lessons of July is that state opportunities cannot be turned into rewards for partisan loyalty,” Hasnat wrote.

He questioned what remained of that consensus if a candidate’s political identity became an obstacle to government employment despite their qualifications, examination results and competitive performance.

“What happened to that social consensus of July?” he asked.

Hasnat cited Article 29(1) of the Constitution, which provides for equality of opportunity for citizens in employment or office in the service of the Republic.

He also referred to Section 7(1) of the Government Service Act, 2018, saying merit and open competition were the basis for direct recruitment.

A citizen may be associated with any democratic political organisation or choose not to be affiliated with one, he said.

If there is a specific allegation of a criminal offence against someone, it can be investigated and prosecuted under the law.

But cancelling someone's employment solely because of their political identity, despite the absence of a criminal offence, would amount to “unlawful and discriminatory” treatment, Hasnat said.

He linked the issue directly to the origins of the July movement, which began over quotas and discriminatory advantages in government jobs before expanding into broader questions of state discrimination, authoritarianism and accountability.

If the question of “who holds which political view?” again becomes a determining factor in government recruitment beyond merit, Hasnat said, it would go beyond an employment dispute.

“It is a question about the moral and political commitments of the post-July state,” he wrote.

Giving an advantage to someone because of their political identity is wrong, he said, but depriving a qualified citizen because of an opposing political identity violates the same principle.

Hasnat also raised questions over the transparency of government verification.

If a candidate's appointment is cancelled or withheld following verification, he said, the person should be told under which law the investigation was conducted, which authority carried it out, what information was examined and what criteria were applied.

They should also be told what specific information or allegations were found against them, whether political identity played any role in the decision, whether they were given an opportunity to respond and whether an appeal or other remedy is available.

“The greater the power exercised by the state, the greater its accountability should be,” Hasnat wrote.

He also cited the Right to Information Act, 2009, saying citizens have a right to seek information from public authorities, subject to exemptions provided under the law.

Rather than arguing that every piece of verification information must be released, Hasnat said the question should be: “Why should information that is legally disclosable be kept secret?”

If information cannot legally be disclosed, the government should clearly state the legal basis for withholding it, he added.

Hasnat said those whose government appointments have been cancelled or held up following verification should first seek disclosure of the legal basis for the decision, the criteria applied and relevant documents.

They could then seek administrative remedies, appeal the decision or challenge its legality before the courts, he said.

“One of the greatest lessons of July is to establish a state where a citizen’s rights and qualifications, rather than their political identity, are given priority,” Hasnat wrote.