Candidates of the 47th BCS written examination have announced a boycott after weeks of protests demanding changes to the exam schedule and additional preparation time. They made the announcement on Wednesday (26 November) at a press conference held at the Madhur Canteen of Dhaka University.
The candidates alleged that they were not given sufficient time to prepare, that discrimination had arisen between new and previous candidates, and that the protesters had faced repression. For these reasons, they said their legitimate demands were ignored.
They added that, since the schedule had not been revised, many were no longer in a position to take the exam. Therefore, they felt compelled to boycott.
Speaking under the banner of the 47th BCS Written Examinees, Saif Murad said that despite their long movement, many were still unaware of their situation. He noted that many candidates would boycott the exam, and if attendance dropped abnormally, there might be renewed demands for a retake.
He stated that over the past 30 days, repeated requests to the PSC and other authorities went unanswered, and claimed that 40–50 students were injured during the movement.
Saif Murad further explained that they had not used any political slogans; instead, they demanded fair competition. He described the situation as discriminatory, noting that previous candidates had taken a written exam just three months earlier, while new candidates did not have enough time to prepare adequately.
He also apologised for the public inconvenience caused when the protesters eventually took to the streets.
Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission (PSC) reiterated that their decision remained unchanged. The 47th BCS written examination will begin on Thursday (27 November) as per the previously announced schedule.
The exam will be held across eight centres—Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur and Mymensingh. Some cadre-specific written exams will be conducted only in Dhaka.
SS