PM says no plans to raise age limit for entering public jobs

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has brushed off a demand to raise the maximum age for entering government jobs from 30 years.

A group of students have been demonstrating for the past few years for increasing the age limit to 35 years.

During a question-answer session in Parliament on Wednesday, Hasina made it abundantly clear that her administration had “no plans” to raise the threshold.

Responding to Bogra-6 MP Md Nurul Islam Omar’s supplementary question, Hasina said, “We want to utilise the intellectual powers of young people. That’s why we want them to start work after finishing their studies in time.

“And that’s why we have no plans to raise the age limit from 30 years.”

She said, “No-one stays young after reaching 30. They become quite old after that. I’m not sure whether the honourable MP is asking about jobs for old people.

“Because if anyone can join after 30 years of age, that will be a job for the elderly, not youths.”

The maximum age to enter government jobs in Bangladesh was 28 years at first. It was later revised up to 30 years.

About not heeding the students’ demand, the prime minister referred to no session jams in the educational institutions.

“Students now pass SSC exams within 15-16 years and complete master’s by 23 years. So it doesn’t take 24-25 years to complete studies. This leaves plenty of time for them to find jobs.”

Other issues

The prime minister in Wednesday’s session also answered questions on the prices of commodities during Ramadan, Bangabandhu Satellite and Payra Sea Port, among others.

She said the government had taken initiatives to sell essential commodities at stable and fair prices from the cities and divisional towns during the month of Ramadan.

The TCB and dealers will sell the commodities on open trucks at 25 places in Dhaka, 10 in Chittagong, five in other divisional towns and two places in other district towns.

Sheikh Hasina during Wednesday's question-answer session in Parliament

To a question from Jessore-2 MP Md Monirul Islam, Hasina said they hoped to launch the Bangabandhu Satellite-1, Bangladesh’s first ever such venture, into the space in 2017.

The work in the Tk 26.67 billion project was underway, she added.

In response to Jatiya Party’s Dhaka-6 MP Kazi Firoz Rashid’s question regarding the Payra Sea Port project, she discussed the plan to build an economic zone in that region centring the port.

Pointing towards visiting Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, who observed Wednesday’s proceedings in Parliament, the leader of the House said, “The Kuwaiti prime minister is here. We’ve signed several deals with them.

“Kuwait will provide financial aid to build Payra Bridge. Lebukhali Bridge is also being built with Kuwaiti aid. I thank the Kuwait government for this.”

Prime Minister Hasina said the Payra Sea Port will be multipurpose and Bangladesh’s neighbours will also be able to use it, which will generate more jobs for the locals.