The interim government has approved raising the maximum age limit for applying for public service jobs to 32 years amid job seekers’ demonstrations calling for the age limit to be raised to 35.
However, no decision has been made regarding the retirement age.
The decision was made at a meeting held at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Thursday, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
During the meeting, the draft ordinance on the “Maximum Age Limit for Direct Recruitment in Government, Autonomous, Semi-Autonomous, Statutory Authorities, Public Non-Financial Corporations, and Autonomous Organisations, 2024” was approved.
This draft includes provisions concerning the maximum age limit for joining public service.
Following the meeting, the chief adviser’s press wing and the Cabinet Division informed journalists of the decision.
The job seekers have rejected the decision and committed to continuing their protest, insisting on a permanent rise in the age limit for job applications to 35 years.
Push for higher entry age
Earlier, a review committee had recommended increasing the maximum age limit for entry into government jobs to 35 years for men and 37 years for women. However, the committee did not address the retirement age.
On September 30, the government formed a committee to review demands for raising the age limit for entering government service. The committee was headed by former secretary Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, who is also the chairman of the Public Administration Reform Commission.
Currently, the general age limit for entry into government service is 30 years, with an extended limit of 32 years for children of freedom fighters. For the past several years, job seekers have been demanding the entry age for government jobs be raised to 35.
Demonstrations intensified after the fall of the Hasina government to press home the same demand.
New age limit set
In response, the advisory council has decided to set the maximum age limit for recruitment in all cadres under the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS), as well as all other government jobs outside the BCS framework, at 32 years.
The new age limit will also apply to autonomous and semi-autonomous organisations with necessary adaptations to their recruitment regulations.
In the case of the defence services and law enforcement agencies, their respective recruitment rules will remain unchanged.
Additionally, under Section 59 of the Government Service Act 2018, the Ministry of Public Administration will amend the Bangladesh Civil Service (Age, Qualification, and Direct Recruitment Examination) Rules 2014 to introduce the provision limiting candidates to three attempts at the Bangladesh Civil Service examination. Currently, there is no restriction on the number of times candidates can sit the exams.
Protesters reject age limit
The platform of protesting job seekers, Boysheema 35-Protyashi Shikhkharthi Shomonnoy Parishad (Coordination Council of Students Demanding the Age Limit to be 35), has rejected the interim government’s decision.
They have vowed to continue their movement, demanding a permanent increase of the age limit for job applications to 35 years.
In a press briefing held at the Jatiya Press Club on Thursday afternoon, the platform’s convener, Shariful Hasan Shubho, made the announcement.
Shubho said, "We have been fighting for over 12 years to permanently raise the age limit for applying to government jobs to 35 years. On September 30, the review committee reflected our demand in their recommendations, and we had thanked the government for that.
“We had urged the government to uphold the committee’s recommendation. However, today the government announced the age limit has been set at 32 years, which does not reflect our demands," he added.
Regarding the future course of action, Shubho stated, "We will discuss with the protesters and announce new programmes soon. A press conference will be held to inform everyone about the next steps."
BCS limits slammed
Raqibul Hasan, another protester, voiced his concerns, saying, "The government is planning to allow candidates to take the BCS exam only three times. If I fail the written exam for the 45th BCS, my dream will be over.
“I am currently 28 years and 9 months old, meaning I still have more than three years before reaching the age limit. However, under this new rule, I will not be able to take part in BCS any more. I cannot accept this rule—it is discriminatory," he said.
Jyoti Nazifa, a graduate of Jahangirnagar University in 2022, has already taken the BCS exam twice. She described the new rule as "ridiculous".
"It takes three years just to get the results of one BCS exam, and in that time, they hold the preliminary tests for three more exams. Limiting attempts to three makes no sense," she remarked.
