Candidates, who attended the recruitment examination of eight government banks on Friday, have formed a human chain in Dhaka demanding the cancellation of the examination.
During the demonstration held in front of the National Press Club on Sunday, the protesters alleged that the exam should be cancelled due to widespread mismanagement, question paper leak and various other irregularities.
The examination was held under the management of Bankers’ Selection Committee.
Protesters started gathering in front of the Bangladesh Bank in Motijheel area around 10am, but faced police resistance.
Later, the candidates formed the human chain in front of the National Press Club, carrying banners and placards. They also created a Facebook group, Aaat Bank er porikkha batil chai, which translates to “Cancel the recruitment exam for eight banks.”
They added that several exam centres did not have a seat plan for candidates, forcing students to huddle together on benches.
Protesters demanded that the Bankers’ Selection Committee be dissolved, and the recruitment examination be held again in a similar manner to PSC examination.
They also demanded resignation of the committee’s Member Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Khan, deployment of an adequate number of law enforcers at the centres and recommended that controversial examination centres be removed from the centre list.
At least 5,600 candidates could not sit for the examination at the Hazrat Shah Ali College because the institution did not have sufficient seating arrangements.
Around 150 candidates were forced to sit for the exam in a room with a seat plan for 30 people.
The college administration tried to accommodate the candidates in the library, seminar room, the teachers’ meeting room, the office and even in the principal’s room, but it was not enough.
Candidates, unable to attend the exam, stood outside the college. Some of them vandalized the windows and doors of the institution.
Following the unrest, Member Secretary of the Bankers’ Selection Committee Mosharraf Hossain Khan arrived at the centre and postponed the examination at the venue.
He stated that the recruitment examination, only for candidates with seating arrangements in Hazrat Shah Ali College, will he held on January 20.
In Dania College, the question paper arrived ten minutes after the scheduled start of the exam.
Those who appeared in the examination in different centres, have complained that the question paper was leaked and many candidates cheated by using mobile phones.
This article was first published on Bangla Tribune