Recruitment test cancellation: Jobseekers block Nilkhet

Jobseekers blocked Nilkhet intersection in the capital on Saturday, protesting the cancellation of a Department of Youth Development recruitment test following allegations of question paper leakage.

The protesters began their blockade and demonstration shortly after 11:30AM, bringing traffic to a standstill on roads around Nilkhet and New Market. The blockade caused considerable inconvenience to pedestrians and commuters travelling to different destinations.

During the protest, the jobseekers chanted slogans demanding justice over the alleged question paper leak and the resignation of the director general of the Department of Youth Development.

The recruitment test for the post of Assistant Upazila Youth Development Officer was suspended after allegations emerged that images of the question paper had circulated on social media several hours before the examination was scheduled to begin.

The cancellation sparked anger among candidates, who voiced their frustration outside various educational institutions in the capital.

A jobseeker who went to Dhaka College to sit for the examination said the test was scheduled to begin at 11AM, but neither the question papers nor the invigilators arrived at the examination room 15 minutes before the scheduled start, as expected under the usual procedure.

He said the candidates became confused and anxious as the scheduled time passed without the examination beginning. When the test had still not started by 11:30AM, they left their rooms. Officials subsequently informed them that the examination would not be held.

The candidate alleged that a question paper identified on Facebook as belonging to the Assistant Upazila Youth Development Officer recruitment test had circulated before the examination and later matched the actual paper.

He said many candidates had travelled from outside Dhaka, spending Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,000 on transportation and other expenses, while some had arranged accommodation in hotels or relatives' homes.

The protesters alleged that question paper leaks had repeatedly affected recruitment examinations conducted by the department and demanded accountability and effective measures to prevent such incidents.