The government has decided to set the maximum age limit for entering government jobs at 32 years. Now, the decision will not change even if there is a movement to increase the age further, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Water Resources.

She made these remarks at a press conference organized at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Thursday (October 24) night.

Asked about the BCS exam not being taken more than three times, she said, “If the same person takes the exam repeatedly, not everyone may get the opportunity. Considering those issues, we have decided to take the BCS exam a maximum of three times. No decision has been made on the retirement time.”

Also present at the press conference were - Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Mahfuz Alam.

Earlier, in the meeting of the advisory council chaired by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, it was decided to increase the maximum age limit for entry into government service to 32 years. However, no decision was made on the age for retirement from service. That is, the retirement age will remain as it is now.

The meeting approved the draft of the ‘Maximum Age Limit for Direct Appointment in Government, Autonomous, Semi-Autonomous, Statutory Government Authorities, Public Non-Financial Corporations and Self-Governing Bodies Ordinance, 2024’. It includes the issue of the maximum age limit for entry into service.

Currently, the general age limit for entry into government service is 30 years. However, the maximum age limit for applying under the quota for children of freedom fighters is 32 years. A group of job seekers had been agitating for a long time demanding that the age limit for entry into service be increased to 35 years.

There is strict surveillance at borders and all airports in the country to prevent those involved in the July-August genocide from escaping, Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said.

He made this known in a special statement on Thursday (October 24).

In the statement, the Home Affairs Adviser said, "The interim government is determined to arrest and swiftly bring to justice the terrorists and murderers involved in the July-August genocide. Many of those involved in the genocide have already been arrested, and law enforcement operations are underway to arrest and bring the rest to justice. Strict surveillance is continuing at borders and airports to prevent anyone involved in the genocide from escaping through the border and airspace.

He also said in the statement, "At the same time, necessary instructions have been given to the law enforcement agencies to take precautions so that no innocent people are harassed during the operation to arrest the terrorists." 

Efforts are being made to reduce the cost of Hajj, and no one will go to Hajj with government money this year, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Water Resources.

She said these things at a press conference organized at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Thursday (October 24) night.

Also present at the press conference were - Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Mahfuz Alam.

Although there is a lot of criticism about performing Hajj at government expense, many people even make arrangements for it.

Every year, many people, from retired secretaries to judges, freedom fighters, politicians and government officials and employees, go to Hajj with government money.

This year (2024), the Awami League government sent 71 people to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj at a cost of Tk. 3 crore. The previous year, 23 people went to Hajj at government expense.

Earlier on January 22, 2023, State Minister for Religion Faridul Haque Khan had informed the Jatiya Sangsad that 254 people were sent for Hajj in 2022 at government expense.

He also informed the Parliament that since 2014, the government has started the program of sending a certain number of devout Muslims to Saudi Arabia for Hajj at government expense. Of these, no one was sent for Hajj in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic Corona. Apart from these two years, 1,918 people have been sent for Hajj at government expense in the last seven years.

Of these, 125 people were sent for Hajj in 2014, 268 in 2015, 283 in 2016, 334 in 2017, 340 in 2018, 314 in 2019 and 254 in 2022. 

Professor Dr. Ali Riaz, head of the Constitutional Reform Commission, has commented that democracy is the way to create dissent.

He said this at a discussion titled ‘The Journey of Democracy, Upcoming Challenges and Ways to Overcome It’ organized by Brain and Adarsha Prakashni at Bangla Academy on Thursday (October 24) afternoon.

He said, ‘Democracy is the way to create dissent. Democracy is about being together even with dissent. We will agree on some issues, but we will disagree on many issues.

Regarding the attitude of many that nothing can be changed through reforms, Professor Dr. Ali Riaz said, just as institutions themselves do not collapse, they cannot be created either, but you and I can create them.

The head of the Constitutional Reform Commission said, institutions are not just state institutions; the most important of them is the political party. Without political parties, there is no democracy, there is no state. If you talk about democracy, you have to talk about multi-party politics.

Awami League was a big party, such a big uprising, so much bloodshed - not a single person of them expressed regret. What a terrible situation, he added.

Professor Dr. Ali Riaz said, have you seen any change in any political party in the country that they themselves want to change through such a big movement? I can't see it.

He said, whether you will reform the state, reform the constitution, reform the election commission or not is a different matter. But if the political parties do not take the first step in terms of political reform - then what can you expect?

Umama Fatema, coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, said, the political parties are now asking for some kind of election to be held. But the people did not want this in the movement. The political parties were also there for the first 15 days, but now it seems that they are saying one thing with their mouths and another in their hearts.

He said, I am a student, I am young, I understand less. But how can you take advantage of me by understanding less.

Political analyst Syed Abdullah said, Hasina has changed but the police has not changed a bit in the places where changes are needed. Awami League has put its most brutal Chhatra League leader in charge of the police investigation. But they are still sitting there.

Journalist Shahed Alam said, we are all talking about being united. Some are also talking about recognizing BNP, some are talking about criticizing it. However, we have to be careful about one thing, so that we do not want to bring everyone to one ideology like Awami League. Everyone will have their own ideology, thoughts and will also be united.

Journalist Monir Haider said, Chief Adviser Dr. Yunus said that their employers are students. Now those students are coming and criticizing the government again. Earlier, we used to see many ministers coming and giving revolutionary speeches so that no one could come and say anything to them. This is supposed to be our talk. The students can know if they want, so why are they raising this question? So where will we go?

He said, "You are also giving the same speeches that BNP and Awami League have been giving for 52 years, and you are getting applause, so where is the difference? We want a difference." Political analyst Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman said, "There is no need for excessive ambition. We have to think realistically, leaving aside the thought that everything will change in a country. If we get a fairly effective democracy, I am happy with that."