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Risk lives or skip recruitment tests?

2 lakh govt job seekers concerned over exams amid blockade
MD ABBAS and BAHARAM KHAN
The BNP-Jamaat led blockade has caused uncertainty for over 2 lakh government job seekers, affecting recruitment tests at 10 state-owned banks and financial institutions, along with the Power Development Board.
The absence of inter-district buses during blockade raises concerns about transportation, with additional fears of vehicles being targeted by arsonists.
The blockade beginning today is set to continue till 6:00am on November 10.
Job seekers used to arrive in Dhaka one or two days before the test, but they now face uncertainty on how to make the journey before November 10, amid the blockade.
Monirul Islam Bhuiyan, a job seeker from Rangamati, said, “How would I go to Dhaka if buses don’t run on roads?”
He said he would have to travel to Dhaka to attend the test, even at the risk of his life. “My age is close to the limit set by the government to apply for government jobs. So time’s running out for me,” he said.
Yasin Sarkar Refat, a job seeker from Mymensingh, is apprehensive about traveling to Dhaka due to the risk of buses being set on fire during the blockade.
“If authorities take the test during blockade, we would be forced to travel to Dhaka risking our lives,” he said.
He urged the relevant authorities to either postpone the test or to arrange special trains for job seekers so they could travel to Dhaka without any problems.
Like Monirul and Yasin, at least 20 job seekers across the country expressed their fear of traveling to Dhaka while talking to The Daily Star.
Contacted, Mezbaul Haque, Bangladesh Bank’s executive director and spokesperson, said the recruitment test would be held as scheduled.
When asked how job seekers would come to Dhaka on exam day as there will be a blockade on the previous day, Mezbaul said there was no significant political instability in the country which warrants a postponement of tests.
He further informed the newspaper that job seekers would not face any issues because there would be no blockade on the day of the recruitment test.
As many as 1,69,879 candidates applied against 922 vacancies for posts of senior officers in 10 banks/financial institutions under the Bankers’ Selection Committee.
The banks include state-owned institutions such as Sonali Bank, Janata Bank, Agrani Bank, Rupali Bank, Bangladesh Development Bank Limited, Krishi Bank, Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation, Prabashi Kallyan Bank, Karmasangsthan Bank, and Investment Corporation of Bangladesh.
The examination will take place from 10:00am to 11:00am at various centres in the capital.
Meanwhile, on November 2, Bangladesh Power Development Board issued a notification stating that the recruitment test for the posts of lower division accounts assistant will be held on November 10.
The exam will be held from 3:30pm to 4:30pm.