50pc viva marks a ploy to favour ruling party loyalists: IAB

Allocating 50 per cent of the marks to viva voce in government job examinations is a ploy to give undue advantage to ruling party loyalists, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) Assistant Secretary General and Dhaka Metropolitan South unit President Sheikh Fazlul Karim Maruf has alleged.

Shafiqul Islam, publicity secretary of the party’s Dhaka Metropolitan South unit, conveyed the remarks in a press statement issued on Friday.

Maruf, who is also a mayoral candidate for Dhaka South City Corporation, said conscious and meritorious students took to the streets in 2018 and 2024 demanding quota reform. He recalled that the then government attempted to suppress the legitimate movement through authoritarian means but ultimately had to flee the country.

“The purpose of recruitment examinations is to appoint qualified individuals to suitable positions,” Maruf said, questioning the rationale for allocating half of the total marks to a viva board.

“Allocating 50 per cent of the marks to the viva board is merely a strategy to provide illicit benefits to ruling party loyalists,” he contended.

Warning of serious consequences, he said, “If this decision remains in force, the country will quickly become volatile.” He also cautioned that it could undermine the country’s pool of talent.

“In short, assigning 50 per cent of the marks to the viva voce in government job examinations is a suicidal move that spells disaster for the nation,” Maruf said.

He also criticised what he described as the absence of a long-term vision in the country’s education policy.

After spending a substantial part of their lives pursuing academic studies, young people are compelled to begin studying afresh for competitive government job examinations, he said.

“This alone is sufficient to cause a nation to lag behind,” he remarked, arguing that the lack of a coherent long-term education plan was pushing the future generation towards an uncertain future.