Jubo Projonmo demands permanent 32-year age limit for govt jobs

Jubo Projonmo demanded that the maximum age limit for entering government jobs be permanently set at 32 years in place of current 30 years, as students are going to lose around two years of their academic life due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The platform of unemployed youths requested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to increase the age limit to 32 years as a stimulus on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the country's independence.

They also mentioned that the ruling Awami League in its election manifesto for the 2018 general election promised to take rational action considering the practical situation.

In a statement, they also mentioned some points, including the age limit for government job seekers had increased from 27 years to 30 years in 1991 when the average life expectancy was 57.

In 16 years, the average life expectancy of Bangladeshis has become 73 years, but the government has not increased the maximum age limit for entering government services, they added.

In 2011, the retirement age of government employees increased to 59 years while for the freedom fighters increased to 60 years. On this ground, it is contradictory not to increase the age limit for job seekers, the jobseekers said.

"It has been learnt that advertisements of government job recruitments have reduced from 87% to 13% during the Covid-19 pandemic while the ratio of unemployment increased from 20% to 35%. Overall, the unemployment rate will increase due to the pandemic.

"It is not possible to compensate students of all ages by providing back dates. The students will get compensated only if two years are added to the maximum age limit for government jobs."

The students from Indian's Assam State have already got extra two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, the protesters mentioned.