PSC reform, 44th BCS results: Job seekers clash with police during protest at Shahbag
They also demanded the repeal or amendment of the Non-Cadre Recruitment Rules 2023 and urged that all candidates who passed the viva be offered jobs
A group of job seekers blocked the Shahbag intersection this afternoon (4 July), demanding reform of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) and revaluation of the final results of the 44th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination, police said.
The demonstration turned tense around 6pm when police charged with batons at protesters to disperse them, resulting in a physical altercation between the two sides.
Later, the protesters moved to Raju Sculpture near Dhaka University and announced that the "protest will continue until their demands are met."
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Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Ramna Division), told The Business Standard, "We repeatedly requested them [protesters] not to disrupt traffic and even gave them extra time. Suddenly, some of them attacked police officers, injuring several of our personnel."
He added, "People are allowed to raise demands, but occupying a key intersection for hours is unacceptable. They could have voiced their concerns for 10 minutes and moved on."
However, former BUET student Salehin Sion, a protester, claimed the police provoked the clash. "We were moving peacefully toward the Raju Sculpture when police began pushing us from behind. That's when the confrontation started."
Earlier in the afternoon, the job seekers began their protest with a procession from in front of the DU Central Library, eventually occupying the Shahbag intersection.
They called for an increase in the number of posts in the 44th BCS, publication of written and viva scores along with the final results, the opportunity to amend cadre preferences before results are announced, and a ban on recommending the same person for the same cadre twice.
They also demanded the repeal or amendment of the Non-Cadre Recruitment Rules 2023 and urged that all candidates who passed the viva be offered jobs.
Additionally, they called for the eligibility of candidates whose undergraduate subject codes are missing to apply for non-cadre posts.
