Dropped candidates of 18th teachers' registration viva block road outside Press Club demanding review of results
The protesters, who claim they were unfairly excluded despite qualifying in the written exam, began their sit-in around 10am. So far, over 2,000 candidates from across the country have joined the day-long demonstration
Thousands of candidates who were dropped during the viva voce stage of the 18th Non-Government Teachers' Registration Examination gathered outside the National Press Club in Dhaka today (22 June), blocking the entire road to demand a review of the viva results and immediate issuance of registration certificates.
The protesters, who claim they were unfairly excluded despite qualifying in the written exam, began their sit-in around 10am. So far, over 2,000 candidates from across the country have joined the day-long demonstration.
Police dispersed the protesters using sound grenades and water cannon at around 11.40am.
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Earlier on 15 June, similar protests were held in front of the Non-Government Teachers Registration & Certification Authority (NTRCA) office in Eskaton, where a five-member delegation met with officials.
That same day, police baton-charged demonstrators and threw sound grenades when protesters tried to break through barricades near the Secretariat.
The teacher registration exam, held in 2020, saw delays due to the pandemic, with results finally published in December 2023. Since then, many candidates have not been appointed and are now over 30, making them ineligible under most new recruitment notices, even after a three-month age relaxation was introduced.
The aggrieved candidates allege that more than 30% failed in the viva stage in an unprecedented manner, with inconsistencies in pass rates across different boards, ranging from 1 out of 30 in some, to 27 out of 30 in others. They also cited the increased difficulty of the written exam and demanded certificates for all viva attendees.
Their seven-point demand includes a complete re-evaluation of the viva results, explanation of board-wise pass discrepancies, investigation into possible result irregularities, and assurance of fairness in the examination process.
