47th BCS exam: After social media backlash, Jamaat now tells activists to hold demos on 18, 19 Sept afternoon
The 47th BCS preliminary exam is scheduled for 19 September. However, no exam is set for 18 September.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has rescheduled its demonstrations on the morning of 18 and 19 September to the afternoon, following backlash on social media over concerns that the programmes would clash with the 47th BCS preliminary examinations and leave the examinees suffering.
The party announced the change in a statement posted on its official Facebook page today (16 September), noting that while it had initially declared a three-day programme starting 18 September, it decided to shift the first two days' events "to ensure a fair and peaceful environment for candidates."
Earlier yesterday (15 September), Jamaat had unveiled its three-day programme at a press conference, based on a five-point demand for a free, fair and acceptable election in February. The demonstrations were scheduled for 18, 19 and 26 September.
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Jamaat acknowledged that the BCS examination is set for the mornings of 18 and 19 September and said the party had taken a "very conscious and responsible stand" in response.
"We believe that holding the programme in the afternoon will not disrupt the examination activities," the statement reads.
The 47th BCS preliminary exam is scheduled for 19 September. However, no exam is set for 18 September.
The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) has also released the viva voce schedule for candidates who have provisionally passed the written test of the 45th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination 2025.
In the first phase, interviews of 208 candidates will be conducted on 21 and 22 September.
The party further said that special instructions have been issued to its branches across the country to refrain from holding any programme in the morning on those two days. Events will only take place in the afternoon.
"We are sincerely praying that the BCS candidates can participate in the examination with proper preparation and will be able to successfully pass and play an important role in building a new Bangladesh and fulfilling the nation's expectations," the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Islami Andolan Bangladesh leader Syed Rezaul Karim, also known by his title Charmonai Pir, announced similar programmes on the same dates, to press home five demands, including a national election based on the July Charter, implementation of proportional representation in parliament, and a ban on the activities of the Jatiyo Party (JaPa) and other parties in the 14-party alliance.
Besides the Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolan Bangladesh, some other Islamic parties are also preparing to stage separate yet simultaneous programmes to push for common demands. Among them, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, led by Maulana Mamunul Haque, yesterday announced a three-day programme to press home five demands. However, no announcement from them has come so far to change their programme schedule.
