Jobseekers to fight legally if test not cancelled

Jobseekers, who sat for Friday's recruitment test at eight state-owned banks and financial institutions, on Sunday warned the authorities that they would go to the court should the exam not be cancelled.

The agitated jobseekers said they would hold a human chain at Shahbagh at 10:00am Monday and give the authorities 24-hour ultimatum to meet their demand.

The candidates raised the demand from a demonstration on Dhaka streets. During rallies, they presented eight other demands.

They alleged there had been scores of irregularities in the test.

Their nine-point demand includes retake of the exam scrapping the one held on 12 January, resignation of the member secretary of Bankers’ Selection Committee (BSC), ensuring seats for each of the contestant at centres, cancellation of disputed centres and giving the responsibility of preparing questions to entity other than Dhaka University.

At around 10:30am, the demonstrators first gathered in front of the Bangladesh Bank (BB). They then moved to the National Press Club and from there they went to the DU campus. They stayed in front of the business studies faculties till 2:00pm.

Dhaka University’s management department professor Md Mohiuddin was in charge of the recruitment test.

One of the jobseekers, Mashiur Rahman, said they talked to several teachers of the business faculty. “One of the teachers admitted that Dhaka University is not in a position to coordinate such a huge exam. This type of exam should be taken under a new institution or may be PSC (Public Service Commission).”

In response to a question on why DU was carrying out the responsibility, the teacher advised the demonstrating students to talk to the DU vice-chancellor.

Another jobseeker, Md Tanvir, said, “There were problems in every centre. In many centres, candidates came out with OMR (optical mark recognition) sheet (answer sheet). The question was obviously leaked.”

One of the contestants, Khaled Saifullah, said, “Tejgaon College was my centre. Some people came there, showed some of the candidates and said to take special care of them. There are some centres like Dhaka College where political influence is rampant. These centres should be scrapped.”

The jobseekers said the test should be scrapped instead of a centre.

BSC member secretary Mosharraf Hossain Khan told Prothom Alo, “I also have heard about the demonstration but none came to talk to me. We shall take care of management issue in the next exams.”

On 12 January, recruitment test for the Sonali Bank Ltd, Janata Bank Ltd, Rupali Bank Ltd, Bangladesh Development Bank Limited, Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Rajshahi Krishi Unnoyon Bank, Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation and Investment Corporation of Bangladesh was held.

Candidates of Shah Ali Mohilla College centre vandalised the centre and blocked roads as they did not get seats there.

BSC authorities said the exam of that centre will be held on 20 January.