Police used batons and water cannons to disperse protesters during a demonstration in front of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) office on Sunday, as candidates demanded a rescheduling of the 47th BCS written examination.
Witnesses said hundreds of candidates who passed the 47th BCS preliminary test joined the protest in the morning, calling for an extension of the written exam date.
They alleged that while previous BCS exams allowed three to six months for preparation, this year candidates have been given only 40 days before the written test, scheduled to begin on 27 November. Many of the demonstrators described the decision as “discriminatory and unrealistic.”
Earlier in the day, PSC representatives urged the demonstrators to vacate the entrance, but the latter vowed to continue their protest until an announcement extending the exam schedule was made.
When they refused to move, police started baton-charging and firing water cannons to disperse them, leaving several candidates injured.
Despite the crackdown, the protesters declared that they will not leave the PSC premises until their demands were met.
The agitation over the written exam schedule has been ongoing for several days, with the 47th BCS preliminary qualifiers staging repeated demonstrations in front of the PSC office demanding more preparation time.
