Does the government bother about the unemployed?
Recruitment has almost come to a halt in the public and private sectors during these coronavirus times. The overseas job market has shrunk. Also due to coronavirus, the public universities (including the National University which is responsible for around 70 per cent of the higher education) have not been able to hold exams. So the students are falling back by nearly two years. And there is no improvement in the corona situation in sight. Under these circumstances, there is need for the government to rethink the age limit for public service. According to the government rules, the application time limit was for those who were 30 years old at the start of 2020. They are no longer eligible to apply. In the meantime, exams for three batches have been held up at the Public Service Commission. If anyone qualifies, they will get the job. If they do not, they wont. But surely those who have wasted nearly two years of their lives due to corona should be given a chance to take the BCS exam. In this context, the demand being made by job aspirants to extend the age limit by two years for entry into public service seems well justified. They have taken to the streets with this demand. They are appealing to the ministers, MPs and bureaucrats. The ministers and MPs make all sorts of political pledges. If anyone goes with the demand not to extend the age limit, they reassure them. If anyone goes with the opposite demand, they reassure them too. Politicians have to keep everyone happy. But someone involved in this movement related a different experience. When some youth went to certain top bureaucrats with this issue, the top bureaucrats supported them in principle. But they also said, We can extend the age limit of entry into service, but then you must also make a demand to extend retirement age by two years!  This is nothing but making a joke out of these young service seekers. * Sohrab Hassan is joint editor of Prothom Alo and a poet. He can be contacted at [email protected]  * This column appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir