Although the demand to increase the age of entry and retirement from government service in Bangladesh is not entirely new, it has recently been discussed again. Job aspirants have protested this demand at various times. The organization of administrative cadre officers 'Administrative Service Association' applied to the cabinet department on September 5 to make the maximum age limit for entry into service 35 and retirement age 65 years. Since the matter falls within the scope of the Ministry of Public Administration, the Cabinet Division sent the letter or proposal to the Ministry of Public Administration on September 18. Some people think that because of that letter, the age limit can be increased from both sides. In that case, the question is whether the implementation of this new proposal regarding increasing the age limit of employment will create more burden along with the increasing expenditure of the state. There are many questions about the rationale for increasing the age limit. What is the rationale for increasing the age limit? At present, the maximum age limit for entering government service is 30 years, and the maximum retirement age is 59 years. However, there is an exception in the case of freedom fighter quota holders. The age of entry into service is 32 years and the retirement age is 60 years. The age limit is not high only for freedom fighters. Retirement age is also higher in certain professions. This is where the Administrative Service Association finds the discrepancy. For example, according to the 'Public University Teachers (Retirement) Act, of 2012', the retirement age of public university teachers is 65 years. According to Article 96 of the Constitution, the retirement age of Supreme Court judges is 67 years. The organization said in its letter that many of those who have been appointed contractually for various periods in the government service have a retirement age of more than 67 years. Meanwhile, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) 2023 survey, the average life expectancy of people in Bangladesh is 72.3 years, which is higher than two decades ago. Those who are raising the demand feel that the age limit for employment should be fixed following the life span. In this context, the president of the organization Anwar Ullah told BBC Bangla, "Since the average life expectancy has increased, if the retirement age is not increased, there remains an issue of economic security." Although many disagreed with his statement. After the interim government assumed power, many government employees were promoted simultaneously. One of the reasons for this is that many people did not get regular promotions during the Sheikh Hasina government. Anwar Ullah was asked whether the demand to increase the age limit is being made to compensate the government employees who have been deprived for more than a century. In reply, he said, "There is no reason to think that this is to give opportunity to the deprived. Because those who are getting promoted, their salary will not increase much. Only the tenure will increase." As many arguments against raising the age limit Anwar Ullah, however, says that raising the age limit in the service will not increase salaries or costs by much. However, experts think that raising the age limit will increase the cost to the government. Along with that many complications can be created in administration activities. For those who have not been able to join the government service despite trying for years or who are nearing the end of the age limit for government service or who are deprived of various privileges of government service due to political reasons, increasing the age limit is an opportunity for them. But those who prepare for new government jobs will fall amid unequal competition. Economist Mostafizur Rahman, a Distinguished Fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue or CPD, thinks that the government will be under pressure in the long run. "Raising the retirement age has immediate and medium long-term effects. Extending the retirement period will delay the pension pressure. But when you have to pay, you have to pay more," he said. A large portion of Bangladesh's budget is spent on salaries and allowances of government employees. In the current financial year, 81,580 crores have been allocated for the salaries and allowances of government officials and employees. Before that, the allocation for this sector in the financial year 2023-2024 was 77,489 crores. In that case, if the proposal to increase the retirement age limit is accepted, the government will have to increase the allocation in this sector. Another area of ​​complication related to raising the age limit for entry into government jobs is unemployment. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics or BBS, the number of unemployed people in Bangladesh is 25,90,000. However, in reality, the number is higher according to economists. Besides, according to the Bangladesh Institute of Development Research or BIDS, the unemployment rate in the country is 3.6 percent. Out of this youth unemployment is about 80 percent. Experts believe that the inclination of the youth of Bangladesh towards government jobs is now high. If the entry age is raised further, many of this vast workforce will eventually prepare for employment with the hope of 'getting a government job one day'. As a result, the economy will suffer as these youth cannot be employed for a long time. However, economist Mostafizur Rahman also thinks, "Not everyone is hoping for a government job." If they don't get a job with a job test, they might work somewhere else." Other Complications and Questions Former Secretary Abu Alam Shahid Khan thinks that increasing the age limit is not logical. Because for the last 10 years there has been no problem of session congestion, if a student studies regularly, he gets a chance to take the exam at least seven times up to 30 years. "Even if there is an exam in two years, he gets two to three chances. Still, I don't know why this movement has been going on for quite some time," said Mr. Khan. Also, there is the question of how well entrants at the end of the age spectrum will be able to adapt to younger workers. Mr. Khan says, "When you join the job as a young, energetic, fresh graduate, the amount of work you can do, you can't do at 35." Terming the demand to raise the retirement age limit to 65 years as a "funny thing", Mr. Khan said, "Raising it will create sterility in government jobs." The age has been increased before Previously, the age of entry into government service in Bangladesh was 27 years and the retirement age was 57 years. But in 1991, although the retirement age was not increased, the age of entry into service was increased to 30 years. Then in 2011, the retirement age was increased to 59 years. At that time, the job aspirants protested to raise the age of entry into the job again the next year after raising the retirement age. But the then government did not respond to it. In 2019 also, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to face questions regarding making the age limit for entering the service to 35 years. She then said that raising the entry age to 35 would be a "pathetic situation". She argued that after 35 years of job examination, completion of training takes 37 years to join. "Then who will run a government?" she asked. Meanwhile, job aspirants took to the streets last May to raise the age limit. However, the President of the organization of government employees, Md. Ullah said that they can demand the government from their place to raise the age limit. "But if the government like it, they can do 32 to 33 to enter. On the other hand, 60 to 61 to retire."

The HSC exam result of this year will be prepared by combining 25 percent marks of JSC and 75 percent marks of SSC following the subject mapping system.  For this, the education board has collected some information and documents required by the candidates. If all goes well, the result may be declared in the first week of next month. According to education board sources, a possible proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Education on how to publish the results. According to the instructions given by the ministry, the results will be prepared and published.  In this regard, a meeting has been called with the examination controllers of the education boards next Wednesday (September 18). The method of publishing the results of HSC or equivalent examination may be finalized in the meeting. Education board officials said six HSC and equivalent examinations, which were suspended after the quota reform movement and later the formation of the interim government, were canceled. Subject mapping of JSC and SSC exams will be done to facilitate the evaluation of canceled subjects. That is, the result will be prepared by averaging the marks obtained in JSC and SSC and equivalent examinations. In this case, 25 percent of the marks obtained in JSC and 75 percent of the marks obtained in SSC will be given to the students in the respective subject. For example, if a student gets 100 marks in JSC in one subject, 25 marks will be taken from it and if get 100 marks in SSC in the same subject, 75 marks will be taken. In this regard, the coordinator of the inter-education board and the chairman of the Dhaka education board, Professor Tapan Kumar Sarkar told the media that a proposal has been sent to the education ministry seeking instructions to publish the results. Now the results will be published as the ministry says. Incidentally, the HSC exam started on June 30 this year. Then the examination was completed properly till 16th July. Due to the quota movement, exams on July 18, July 21, 23, and 25 were postponed. Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina's government was ousted on August 5 in the face of a popular uprising led by the anti-discrimination student movement. The dates of the remaining exams are changed several times based on the overall situation. Meanwhile, the candidates started a movement demanding cancellation of the postponed exams. They protested under the building of the Ministry of Education at the secretariat on August 20. A total of 14 lakh 50 thousand 790 people participated in this year's HSC examination under 9 General Education Boards, Technical Boards and Madrasa Boards

Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury said the current situation is not conducive to reopening educational institutions at the moment. He said this at a meeting at the conference room of the Education Ministry on Monday (July 29) at 4:30 pm. 'We have to discuss with those who are in charge in this regard. That is not the situation at the moment.' the minister said. Regarding the cabinet discussion, Mohibul Hasan said, 'What was discussed there cannot be discussed outside.' Prime Minister's education and cultural affairs adviser Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on education ministry and former education minister Nurul Islam Nahid were present at the meeting.  

The government has decided to reopen government primary schools from Sunday (August 4). However, primary schools in 12 city corporations and municipal areas of Narsingdi will remain closed. The decision was taken at a joint meeting of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and the Department of Primary Education on Wednesday (July 31). Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Farid Ahmed said that primary schools will be opened in all places except 12 city corporations and Narsingdi municipal areas from August 4.  He also said that the class schedule has not been changed. Teaching will continue according to the previous routine. However, the classroom time can be reduced or increased according to the curfew time of the concerned district. The matter will be determined by the District Primary Education Officer. Earlier, all educational institutions in the country were declared closed from July 16 centering the quota movement. It is to be noted that there are 3 crore 70 lakh students are at primary and secondary level. Apart from this, there are about 3 million more students in colleges and universities.

University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh has ordered the closure of all public and private universities in the country considering the safety of students in the situation arising out of quota reform. This information was given in a notification signed by the Secretary of the Commission Dr. Ferdous Zaman on Tuesday night (July 16). According to the notification, considering the safety of the students, the academic activities of all public and private universities and colleges including university-affiliated medical, textile, engineering and other colleges will remain closed until further notice. In the notice, the students have been instructed to leave the residential halls for the sake of safety and stay in a safe residence. Earlier, it was decided to close all the secondary, higher secondary and polytechnic institutions of the country and all colleges and institutions affiliated to the National University for the same reason.  

The procession has started as part of the 'Bangla Blockade' program for a four-point demand, including the restoration of the circular issued by the government in 2018 for government jobs. The procession started from in front of the Dhaka University library at around 3:20 pm on Sunday (July 7). It is scheduled to go through different roads of the campus and go to Shahbagh intersection via TSC. In the procession, the anti-quota students chanted slogans like 'Take the path of Ekattor, make Bangla blockade successful', 'Quota no merit, merit merit' etc. The anti-quota students have displayed their mettle. They started gathering in front of the DU central library premises after 2:30 pm.  Meanwhile, the students of different universities and colleges, including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University boycotted classes and examinations and observed student strike programs.  Besides, roads are being blocked at various important points of the capital.

All secondary and higher secondary level educational institutions and polytechnic institutes across the country have been declared closed indefinitely.  The Ministry of Education issued a notification on Tuesday (July 16) evening in this regard. Considering the safety of school and college-going students, all secondary and higher secondary level educational institutions and polytechnic institutes under the Ministry of Education will remain closed until further notice. Clashes spread out in different parts of the country during the movement demanding reform of the quota system in government jobs. Six people were killed in clashes in Dhaka, Chattogram and Rangpur today (July 16).