Job seekers have urged the government to increase the maximum age for entry into government jobs from 32 years to 35 years.
Even though the government has made a decision to increase the recruitment age limit from 30 to 32 years, students have warned of going for tough measures if their demands are not met before the release of the circular for the upcoming 40th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS)'s preliminary exams.
Bangladesh General Students' Council voiced their demands at a human chain formed in front of the National Press Club on Sunday.
As part of their ongoing activities, students announced the formation of human chains in every district of the country on September 8 to press forward their demands.
However, according to sources from Bangladesh Public Services Commission (BPSC), the circular for the 40th examination will be announced by the second week of September, with around 2,500 posts in different cadres.
But students have said their demands are logical, as life expectancy in the country has increased, and most of the students cannot finish their education in time due to session jams. They raised examples of several countries where the maximum age limit for entering government jobs is 35 years.
The students said after searching more than 100 countries, it was found that the maximum age for entry goes up to 35 years in India, 45 years in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, 59 years in North America, and 35 years in Italy, Qatar and Taiwan.
In Bangladesh, when average life expectancy was 45 years, age limit for government jobs was 27, the students said, and when it was 50 years, the limit was fixed at 30 years. They claimed the limit be increased to 35 years now that average life expectancy has increased to 72 years.
According to BPSC, a person needs to be at least 18 years old to apply for government jobs.
Previously on June 27, a parliamentary standing committee recommended extending the age for recruitment into government jobs to be set to 35 years-- from the existing 30 years-- and the retirement age from 59 years to 65.
The committee asked the Ministry of Public Administration to take necessary steps to revise the matter.
Sanjay Das, convener of Bangladesh General Students' Council, said many government officials assured the students of increasing the age limit after they were contacted.
“They are trying to meet with the president and raise our demands to him," Sanjay said. "The government must accept our demands of setting the age limit to 35 before the 40th BCS examination."
Currently, the entry age limit for general students is 30 years, for freedom fighters and minorities it is 32 years, for nurses 36 years and for divisional candidates 35 years.
The convener said the government can fix 35 years for first class, 40 years for second class and 45 years for third class jobs as the maximum age limits.
"In 2011, the government increased the retirement age for government officials and freedom fighters from 57 to 59 years and 60 years, respectively" he said. "Why was the entry age not increased?"
He further said: "We met with the political advisor to the prime minister, HT Imam, on Sunday afternoon. He appreciated the rationality of our demands in the context of the country's education system and life expectancy. He said he will raise the issue to upper levels."
Meanwhile, Md Zahir Uddin Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration told the Dhaka Tribune: "The decision to increase the age limit depends entirely upon the government. We can only implement whatever decisions are passed on to us by the higher levels."
He added: "Personally, I think we must create a system where students can complete their studies within 22 years. Only then will the young generation get a chance to work effectively. It is our failure we cannot complete graduation within the appropriate time. Those who join in jobs at 25 years, and those who join in at 35 years, are not the same."
