Protests erupted on Friday during the recruitment examination for third and fourth-class employees at the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in Panchagarh, with candidates boycotting the written test, citing question leaks, corruption, and mismanagement.
Demanding a fair examination process, the candidates confined the judge and other officials of the test centre for three hours.
Subsequently, the recruitment committee suspended all tests, citing "unavoidable circumstances."
The incident occurred between 10:15am and 1:30pm at Moqbular Rahman Government College.
Candidates confined Chief Judicial Magistrate Mehedi Hasan Mondal, who is also the chairman of the recruitment committee, along with other officials.
The situation normalized after the magistrate admitted to the mismanagement, apologized, and assured corrective measures.
According to the recruitment committee and protesting candidates, the exams were scheduled for Friday and Saturday, targeting 12 positions with 30 appointments.
Approximately 1,000 candidates were expected for the bench assistant and gardener posts on the first day.
However, several exam halls were not opened on time, seating arrangements were not in place, and question papers were distributed haphazardly, raising suspicions of leaks.
Some candidates were found using mobile phones to search for answers, while others struggled to find seats even after 15 minutes into the exam.
Court employees were seen supervising the exam instead of designated officials.
Angered by these irregularities, candidates boycotted the exam and began protesting. Some participants vandalized classroom windows and benches.
Protesters later gathered outside the principal’s office, demanding action and submitting a 10-point demand.
This included canceling the test, dissolving the recruitment committee, and taking legal action against those involved in the alleged question leak.
The recruitment committee, after discussions with the candidates and authorities, announced the suspension of Friday and Saturday’s exams.
A notification was issued on the "Judiciary Panchagarh" website, stating that new exam dates would be announced within a week.
Candidates expressed their frustration over the situation.
Mohammad Shahjad, a bench assistant candidate, reported that his exam hall had 70 candidates but only 50 question papers.
Another candidate, Sifat Hasan, criticized the judiciary’s lack of transparency, saying: “This is not what we expected in a newly independent country. The responsible officials must face consequences.”
Moqbular Rahman Government College Principal Jahangir Alam said that the judiciary had only requested the venue without providing any logistical details or seat plans, leading to significant mismanagement. "The college plans to seek compensation for damages caused by the protesters," he added.
Panchagarh’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) SM Imam Razi Tulu assured that the authorities would investigate the allegations and take necessary actions.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Mehedi Hasan Mondal pledged to address the grievances and promised a fresh test with new admit cards.
