Unemployed nurses now want exam postponement
Wearing shrouds, unemployed nurses will march towards Health Minister Mohammed Nasim's residence in Dhanmondi today, demanding postponement of exams scheduled for June 3.
“We are protesting the exam as it was announced in such a short time,” said Nahida Akhter, general secretary of Bangladesh Basic Graduate Nurses' Society, adding that the exam was taking place after three years since the last recruitment.
The rally will start from the Central Shaheed Minar at 9:00pm, she told The Daily Star last evening.
Yesterday the nurses, under the banners of Unemployed Diploma Nurses' Association and Bangladesh Basic Graduate Nurses' Society marched towards the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), but police barricaded it at Shahbagh, she said.
A delegation of the nurses then went to the PMO and submitted a memorandum, she added.
Nurses have been demonstrating since early April protesting a PSC circular of March 28 on recruiting 3,616 senior nurses in public hospitals.
The circular says applicants below 36 and attaining Bachelor of Science and diploma in nursing had to take an exam.
However, nurses said the exam prerequisite was unjust because nurses who attained the educational qualifications a few years back and approaching the age might be left out.
On May 1, the minister assured them of considering their demands, she said.
Later, he said he will take the nurse leaders to the premier by May 24, but that deadline is also over, she added. “We have no alternatives now. We will keep demonstrating unless our demand is met,” Nahida Akhter said.
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