Police and a group of protesters were locked in a scuffle today (30 September) as job seekers took position in front of the office and residence of the chief advisor of the interim government, demanding that the age limit for government jobs be increased to 35.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters from the spot. Several people, including journalists, were reportedly injured during the scuffle.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Md Israil Howlader said, “There was already a ban on gatherings in front of the chief adviser’s residence. But the protesters defied the police ban. We will not allow them to stay there.
“We are taking action considering the situation. But using too much force in front of the chief adviser’s residence is also problematic. There are still a few people here now.”
Due to the demonstrations, traffic movement was halted on the road from the InterContinental hotel intersection to Kakrail mosque. Police and army personnel have taken positions around the protestors.
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 protesters broke a police barricade and marched from Shahbagh to the CA’s residence. Around 2pm, the police fired several rounds of tear shells to disperse them.
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.
In this situation, they demanded that the age limit be increased to a maximum of 35.
