Some Bar Council Enrollment examinees boycott written test, prevent others from taking it

A group of Bar Council Enrollment written exam candidates allegedly went berserk at different exam centres -- preventing others to sit for the exams and burning their answer sheets this morning.

They also harassed examinees and invigilators physically, drove away many invigilators to stop the exams, claiming questions in the exams are very hard to answer.

The situation arose when many examinees have long been demanding "auto-pass" like schools and colleges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They have been demanding oral test only.

"Our exam started at 9:00am. About one hour later, we heard noise and saw some examinees were protesting. They went from one exam hall to another and drove us out," said an examinee at the Mohammadpur Kendriya College.

"The protestors took away our answer sheets and set those on fire," he said. 

Another examinee Shihab Kausar said, "I was taking the exam on the fourth floor of the college… Seeing the scenario, the invigilators said they will not take examination amid such situation and asked us to submit our answer sheets around 10:30am, though it was supposed to end at 1:00pm."

"We went to the centre but could not take the exam. We are demanding re-examination," he said.

The four-hour examination started at 9:00am at nine examination centres but a section of examinees also reportedly boycotted exams and prevented others to sit for exams at Mohammadpur Mohila College, Government Mohammadpur Model School and College also, police and examinees alleged.

Sub-inspector Newton Mridha, a duty officer of Mohammadpur Police Station said some students protested at the centres, entered the exam halls, prevented others from taking the exams and created noise.

Police rushed there immediately and took the situation under control, he told The Daily Star.

At Dhaka Mohanagar Mohila College, some students boycotted exams and tried to prevent others too.

"We took the situation under control initially and exams were held there," said Mamunur Rahman, officer in charge of Sutrapur Police Station.

Chairman of the Bar Council and Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said they came to know that problems arose in some centres during test.

"We have sought report from the centres in this regard and steps will be taken upon receiving the reports," he told The Daily Star.

The Bar Council Enrollment MCQ exam was held in February this year and the successful applicants were supposed to sit for the written test today.

The previous written test was held in 2017.