Job seekers vow sit-in after Shahbag clash

Job seekers have announced they will stage a sit-in protest at Raju Vaskorjo in Dhaka University until their 10-point demands for the reform of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) are met and an investigation is launched into an alleged police attack during Shahbagh blockade.

On Friday afternoon, under the banner of ‘Chhatra Somabesh’, job seekers marched in a protest procession from Dhaka University Central Library to block the Shahbagh mor.

This brought traffic to a standstill on key city roads, causing significant suffering for commuters.

During the blockade, clashes broke out between the protesters and police, involving chases and counter-chases, before police brought the situation under control.

Following the alleged police assault during the demonstration, the protestors moved to Raju Vaskorjo and declared their intention to remain there until their demands are fulfilled.

“Today (on Friday), police attacked us at Shahbagh. They acted completely unprofessionally,” said Md Shah Alam, one of the protesters.

“We demand the formation of an investigation committee within 24 hours to identify and punish the police members involved in the attack. Simultaneously, our 10 demands for PSC reform must be accepted.”

He further criticised the PSC, saying, “In this age of technology where everything is being updated, the PSC is becoming more outdated. The results of the 44th BCS [Bangladesh Civil Service] show over 800 repeated cadres, which exposes the PSC’s weakness. This irregularity is unacceptable.”

Protesters also highlighted the issue of question leaks. They claimed, “Even though the nation knows about the question leaks in the 44th, 45th, and 46th BCS exams, the government has failed to provide any effective solution. This reveals the government’s weakness.”

They added, “Those who leaked questions before August 5 have not yet been brought to justice. This lack of accountability is why that group remains powerful. The PSC must be reformed and the results of the 44th BCS must be re-evaluated.”