Chaos as job seekers blockade new market intersection

A group of job seekers today blockaded the New Market intersection for an hour demanding extension of the age bar to sit for BCS and other government jobs.

All kinds of vehicular movement surrounding the New Market intersection came to a deadlock from around 5:30 to 6:30pm due to the blockade. Police later forcefully removed the protestors, reports our Dhaka University correspondent.

"We are suffering due to huge gridlock. Vehicles are stuck as some youth blockaded the road today," said Moniruzzaman, a passenger.

"We do not support such protests which cause huge traffic jams in the city. Vehicles move slowly here anyway on a daily basis. We suffer much more when they protest by blocking roads," he added.

Shariful Hasan Shuvo, who led the protest, told The Daily Star, "We demand to extend the age bar to 35 for government jobs. Now it is 30."

"Last year, the government promised that they would fulfil our demand before the national polls. However, they haven't kept their commitment till now. We staged several protests but to no avail."

Protestors also demanded the reduction in application fees for jobs.

This correspondent tried to contact Shafiqul Gani Shabu, officer-in-charge of New Market Police Station, over the phone for comments but he did not pick up the phone.