Dhaka, Mar 14 (Just News): The protesting job seekers on Wednesday evening blocked the Shahbagh intersection demanding reforms of the quota system in government recruitment tests, including BCS.
The protesters claimed that at least 23 demonstrators have been detained by police during the rallies in the morning and afternoon and.
Witnesses said the job seekers were demonstrating at Shahbagh since 5pm and later around 6:30pm they blocked the intersection, triggering acute gridlock in the busy area.
Earlier, police foiled a bid of job seekers to march towards the Public Administration Ministry to submit a memorandum and charged baton and lobbed teargas shells to disperse them, leaving seven people injured.
Several thousand job seekers, including students of different universities, brought out a procession from Shahbagh intersection around 11am as part of their scheduled programme. They later blocked the road, creating huge traffic congestion.
Protesting the police action, the demonstrators declared candle lighting programme across the country on Sunday.
Police later released the detainees around at 9pm as protesters continued their programme , demanding their fellows' release.
The job seekers have been on a movement to press home their five-point demand that include introduction of unified age limit in government jobs, review of quota system in government recruitment process, including Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination, stopping taking benefit by job seekers under the same quota, filling vacant posts from merit list if the candidates from quota are not found and fixation of 10 percent quota instead of existing 56 percent.
(Justnews/ys/2310)
