Govt forms body amid protests over age limit in public service

The government today formed a committee to assess the possibility of raising the age limit for entry into government services.

The committee has been instructed to review all aspects of the matter and submit a report with recommendations to the government within the next seven working days.

A gazette to this effect was issued by the Ministry of Public Administration today. The committee will be headed by Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, a former secretary and a former caretaker government adviser. Md Mokhlesur Rahman, senior secretary to the public administration ministry, will serve as the committee's member secretary.

The committee's convener will have the authority to include as many members as necessary in the committee.

The move comes as job seekers today took position in front of the residence of the chief adviser to the interim government, demanding that the age limit for government jobs be increased to 35.

Later, senior secretary Mokhlesur stated at a press conference that considering the demands of the protesters, the government has decided to form a committee immediately.

As the protesters gathered, police fired teargas to disperse them from the spot. Several people, including journalists, were reportedly injured during a scuffle between police and a group of protesters.

Earlier, the protesters held a rally in front of the National Museum in the capital's Shahbagh, joined by students of educational institutes from different parts of the country, alongside men and women of different ages.

Around 1:30pm, the agitators broke a police barricade and marched from Shahbagh to the chief adviser's residence. Around 2pm, the police fired several rounds of tear shells to disperse them.

The protesters said due to various reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic, political unrest, and session jams, many had crossed the age limit of 30 without being able to complete their studies and apply for government jobs.

On 5 September, Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman, secretary general of the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association, submitted a letter to the Cabinet Division, demanding that the age limit for entering government jobs be increased to 35 years, and the retirement age be extended to 65 years.

The Cabinet Division forwarded the letter from the association to the secretary of the public administration ministry on 18 September, requesting action to be taken on the matter.

Disciplinary action against 17 deputy secretaries

The public administration ministry secretary at the press conference said an investigation committee recommended disciplinary action against 17 deputy secretaries for causing chaos and disorder at the Secretariat on 10–11 September regarding the appointment of deputy commissioners (DCs).

Mokhlesur said pending investigation, the committee has recommended severe punishment for 8 individuals, minor punishment for 4 individuals, and reprimands for 5 individuals.

The secretary said departmental action will now be taken. "The accused will have the opportunity to explain themselves and to offer an unconditional apology. Actions will be taken after all processes are completed," he said.

Mokhlesur said the news published in the daily Kalbela regarding a "three crore taka bribe in the DC appointment" is false and maliciously intended.

He said after investigating, it was found that the account associated with the cheque mentioned in the report was opened in 2023 with only Tk2,000. Currently, the account has a zero balance, he said, adding that the bank manager has not maintained the KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements for this account.

The secretary said after a comprehensive review of the matter, the investigation committee stated that the Bangladesh Bank should be advised to ensure KYC compliance when opening bank accounts. Additionally, it has recommended that the Ministry of Information inquire into why the Kalbela newspaper published such news, he said. 

The public administration ministry will soon send a letter to the information ministry regarding the matter, said Mokhlesur.