Students set April 12 deadline for raising govt job entry age to 35

Job-seeking students have given the government until April 12 to raise the entry age for government jobs to 35 years. They have warned of a tough nationwide movement if their demand is not met within this timeframe.

The ultimatum was issued at a press conference held at the Dhaka University Journalists' Association on Saturday, April 4.

Student representative Shariful Hasan Shuvro read out a written statement. "Due to recent political instability, long session jams and unforeseen circumstances, a large number of students could not complete their education on time. As a result, they are unable to apply for government jobs, which is discriminatory," he said.

Shuvro further said, "We are demanding that the age limit for job applications be temporarily raised to 37-40 years. Additionally, we demand that the age limit be permanently set at a minimum of 35 years, following international standards."

He noted that although movements over this demand have continued for nearly 14 years, no visible progress has been made so far. Several meetings have been held with State Minister for Public Administration Abdul Bari, and an agreement in principle was reached to raise the age limit to 35. However, no effective steps have yet been taken for implementation.