PSC to apply the system at the later phase of exams; revised results today; protesters demand cancellation
Tamanna Khan and Protik Chakraborty
The Pubic Service Commission will today announce revised results of the 34th BCS preliminary exam, scrapping the earlier one based on the quota policy.
The results would be available on the website www.bpsc.gov.bd form 5:00pm today, said a press release yesterday.
More than 1.93 lakh out of 2,21,575 registered candidates took the preliminary exam on May 24. The result that came out on Tuesday declared only 12,033 examinees qualified for the written exam, triggering protests from job seekers.
PSC Chairman AT Ahmedul Huq Chowdhury yesterday evening said they are announcing the revised result after reviewing the entire situation. He denied that the anti-quota movement had forced the commission to change its position.
Ahmedul Huq added the quota policy will now be applicable for the combined results of written exam and viva as in the past.
Meanwhile, attempts to stage demonstrations against the quota provision at Dhaka and Jahangirnagar universities failed amid obstruction by Bangladesh Chhatra League, a student body backed by the ruling Awami League. The organisation denies the allegation.
Students of Rajshahi University blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway for 45 minutes from around 11:00am yesterday while Chittagong University students formed a human chain to demand the cancellation of quota system.
The demonstrators said they would continue their movement until realisation of their demand for the cancellation of quota provision in the public service recruitment.
They would enforce a student strike in colleges and universities across the country today, a press release said last night.
Currently, 56 percent of government jobs are reserved for quotas, leaving only 44 percent for merit-based recruitment.
On Wednesday, the protest began with several hundred youths blocking the busy Shahbagh intersection in the capital for more than 11 hours demanding removal of the quota provision and cancellation of the preliminary results.
The demonstration turned violent the following day as protesters clashed with police for hours in the DU campus and adjoining areas.
Amra Muktijoddhar Sontan, an organisation of freedom fighters’ offspring, brought out a procession in the DU campus and vowed to stand against any conspiracy to abolish the quota provision.
The Sector Commanders Forum in a statement asked Public Service Commission to reform the quota system.
Meanwhile, the 14 youths, detained in connection with Thursday’s violence, were produced before a Dhaka court yesterday. Police sought remand for them but were refused by the court.
Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, said a donation receipt book of Islami Chhatra Shibir was found in the pocket of one of the detainees, Mohammad Imtiazul Hoque, 22.
Police released 31 out of 36 people who were picked up on Friday for suspected involvement in the violence, which left at least 30 people injured.
Source: The Daily Star
