Viva marks hike could trigger backlash like quota issue: Nahid

BARISHAL, Sept 9: National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Whip Nahid Islam has warned the government against increasing viva voce marks in public service recruitment, saying the move could create scope for partisan appointments and trigger public resentment similar to the quota controversy that preceded the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.

“One quota issue sent Sheikh Hasina to Delhi. You may not even realise where the viva issue will send you,” he said.

Nahid made the remarks while addressing a discussion at Barishal University on Tuesday, organised by the university unit of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, where he criticised a proposal to increase viva marks by nearly 400 per cent.

He argued that a disproportionate emphasis on viva examinations could create opportunities for partisan recruitment and political patronage in public service appointments.

“Viva exams could create scope for recruiting ruling party activists,” he maintained, recalling that he had earlier proposed reducing the 200-mark BCS viva examination to 50 marks.

“But now they are moving in the opposite direction,” he added. Urging the government to consult stakeholders before taking any decision, he cautioned: “Do not make this mistake.”

He also warned against reverting to political practices that prevailed before the July uprising, arguing that the government’s tenure could be jeopardised if it attempted to run the state through the old methods.

“The July uprising began a reform process. The gains of the uprising must not be reversed,” he asserted.

Nahid alleged that the government had failed to meet many of the expectations created by the July uprising and noted that voters would ultimately assess its performance in light of its electoral commitments.

“People will judge how far it has fulfilled its election pledges,” he said.

Praising Barishal University students for their role in the July uprising, he also acknowledged the teachers who supported the movement and criticised those among the teachers, officials and employees whom he accused of playing a negative role.