Unemployed BCS exam passed man sets himself on fire

One among a group of protesters demanding, among others, cancellation of the 34th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exam suffered burns on parts of his body after setting himself on fire when police tried to disperse their demonstration blocking the capital's Shahbagh intersection yesterday.

Members of "Deprived BCS Passed Cadre Forum" doused the fire after its convener, Noor Islam Noor, poured kerosene on his own shirt and ignited it. He was later treated at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical Hospital.

The protesters blocked the intersection for half an hour demanding that the 34th BCS exam answer sheets be re-evaluated, appointing those who passed to 672 posts lying vacant under quotas and not filling those from the 35th batch, and ensuring appointment of all who passed the tests for non-cadre posts. "A person burnt himself but his mates put off the fire. They held a demonstration in front of the (Bangladesh national) museum but I do not know about the road blockade," said Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abu Bakar Siddique.

Earlier, the protestors formed a human chain in front of the museum. After blocking the road and chanting slogans alleging that Public Service Commission (PSC) is corrupted, they brought out a procession to Jatiya Press Club, where they staged a rally. They announced holding a demonstration in Shahbagh exactly one week later and that they would not stop until the demands were met. "PSC did not maintain transparency in publishing the results. There were no separate merit lists for general candidates or those with the quota privilege," alleged Noor.