Staff Correspondent

Thousands of job seekers staged demonstration blocking Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka on Saturday to press home their demand for extending the age limit up to 35 years for government jobs.

Earlier, they held a demonstration at the pavement of the Raju sculpture on Dhaka University campus around 10 am and later, they brought out a procession defying police barricade.

At one point, the demonstrators started a road march toward Ganabhaban, the official residence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to press home their demand.

As they reached the Shahbagh intersection, they were barred by the police, preventing them from further progress.

The protest resulted in a huge traffic jam in and around the area, causing an emmence suffering to the commuters.

The government job aspirants and students from different educational institutions took part in the demonstration equipped with banners and placard. They also were engaged in chanting slogans to realize their demand.

The age limit for government, nongovernment, semi-government and autonomous institutions is 30 years.

However, the job seekers have been staging demonstrations to extend the age limit up to 35 years.

Extending support to the demand, Education Minister Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury has recently written to the Ministry of Public Administration with a proposal to increase the age limit for entering government services from 30 to 35 years.

While talking to the media on April 20, the education minister said that as a public representative, he has placed the recommendation to the public administration ministry on behalf of the job seekers.

But, the decision will depend upon the respective ministry, he added.