In 1997, the freedom-fighter quota was extended to their children, and where eligible candidates were not available, posts were reserved rather than reallocated. In 2010, the scheme expanded again to cover the grandchildren of freedom fighters. Since then, the state has maintained a configuration that reserved 56% of government jobs: 30% for descendants of freedom-fighters, 10% for women, 10% for under-represented districts, 5% for indigenous communities, and 1% for people with disabilities.

Intended to promote inclusion, the policy increasingly appeared inequitable: reserved seats were often left vacant, while higher-scoring candidates outside the purview of the quota were excluded. This mismatch between large reserved allocations and actual uptake fuelled discontent among students and jobseekers, culminating in three major waves of the quota reform movement in 2013, 2018 and 2024, which sought to redistribute recruitment in favor of merit while narrowing the scope of reservations.

In 2018, the quota provision for Class I and II civil service posts was abolished by government directive. However, it was reinstated through a High Court verdict on June 5, 2024, which led to nationwide student protests. In 2024, university students spearheaded the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement, arguing that the quota system had become skewed to benefit supporters of the ruling Awami League.

Their demand for a merit-based and fair recruitment process gained widespread traction against a backdrop of rising graduate unemployment and economic pressure on middle- and lower-income families. As students were brutally attacked and shot at by police, security forces, and ruling party student cadres, the movement quickly evolved into a broader uprising involving people from all walks of life.