Police and a group of protesters were locked in a scuffle on Monday as job seekers demanding the extension of the maximum age limit to 35 years for applying to government jobs moved their protest from Shahbagh to outside the Chief Adviser’s residence, Jamuna.
To disperse them, the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas. The incident occurred around 2pm on Monday, injuring several people, including journalists.
Although the police attempted to disperse them by firing tear gas and rubber bullets, the effort failed. As of 2:30pm, when this report was written, the protesters remained in place, chanting slogans.
Earlier, the protesters held a rally in Shahbagh and marched towards the Chief Adviser’s residence, but the police set up barricades to block them.
The protesters then began chanting slogans. To disperse up the crowd, the police fired several rounds of tear gas.
Regarding the situation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Md Israil Howlader told journalists: "There was already a ban on gatherings near the Chief Adviser’s residence. However, the protesters defied police orders and marched to the residence. We are taking steps and will not allow them to stay there. We are responding based on the situation, but too much force in front of the Chief Adviser’s residence could also be problematic. Only a small group remains here now."
Earlier in the day, job seekers gathered in Shahbagh around 11am.
Hundreds of job seekers gathered in the area from the morning, delivering speeches and chanting various slogans.
Along with demanding the extension of the age limit to 35 in line with international standards, they also called for conditional removal of the age limit.
Students from educational institutions across the country, as well as male and female job seekers of different ages, joined the protest.
On August 26, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) had issued a notice banning meetings, rallies, and marches around the Secretariat and the Chief Adviser’s office.