Job seekers excluded from 43rd BCS gazette go on hunger strike

At least five job seekers excluded from the second gazette of the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination began a hunger strike unto death today, demanding their immediate inclusion in the gazette.

The hunger strike began around 11:00am at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture on Dhaka University campus under the banner of "43rd BCS Deprived Cadre Officers and General Students".

Around 20 others who were also excluded from the second gazette later joined the programme, expressing solidarity with the cause.

They also demanded the finalisation of the government job verification policy.

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43rd BCS: Excluded candidates demand gazette publication before Eid

The protesters said the Ministry of Public Administration, under the interim government, published the first gazette on October 15 last year, recommending candidates who passed the recruitment exam. Initially, the joining date was set for October 28 but was later deferred to January 1 through an official notification.

However, just before the scheduled joining, a second gazette was issued on December 30, dropping 227 candidates who had been included in the first list.

"No specific reasons were given for our exclusion," said one of the protesters, adding that the prolonged uncertainty had forced them to stage several rounds of protests.

"To secure a cadre job, the principal requirement is merit. We have already demonstrated that by passing the preliminary, written, and viva examinations," Mahmudul Hasan, another protester, told this newspaper.

"Yet, through the police verification process, the state has treated us as if we were criminals. This culture must end," he added.

Several protesters said many of them had already resigned from their jobs after being recommended for cadre service, leaving them in uncertainty.

The protesters said their hunger strike and sit-in would continue until the excluded candidates are reinstated in the gazette.