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Several agitated jobseekers have locked the gate of the Civil Surgeon’s Office in Kushtia, accusing authorities of corruption and leaking question papers in the recruitment test for 115 health assistant posts.
The candidates gathered outside the office around 12:30pm on Saturday, a day after the examination, joined by local residents, bdnews24.com reports.
They hung banners denouncing corruption and sealed the office gate, demanding that the exam be cancelled and that those involved in the alleged leak face exemplary punishment.
A recruitment notice was published on Apr 23, 2024, for the appointment of 115 people in seven different third and fourth-class posts under the revenue sector, in grades 11 to 20.
The written exam took place at 11 centres in Kushtia town on Friday from 10am to 11am.
Jobseeker Tarib Rahman Pranto alleged that the question paper was leaked early Friday from the residence of Hossain Imam, the resident medical officer (RMO) at the 250-bed Kushtia General Hospital.
He said, “Around 25 to 30 candidates were taken to the RMO’s house by two ambulances and battery-run rickshaws. They were shown the questions and made to practise on dummy answer sheets before being sent to the exam hall.”
Pranto also alleged that “each contracted candidate had to pay between Tk 1.4 million and Tk 1.5 million for the job. I thought corruption would decrease under the new government, but it has only increased.”
No formal complaints, however, were filed by the candidates about the alleged leak or irregularities.
According to the candidates, they gathered at the Civil Surgeon’s Office after learning that the exam results were being prepared. They also warned of a continuous protest if their demands were not met.
RMO Imam, meanwhile, denied any involvement in the alleged leak.
He said, “On Friday morning, some girls were seen leaving my house. Someone filmed the scene and spread it on social media to defame me. In reality, I have no direct or indirect involvement in this recruitment process.”
Kushtia Civil Surgeon Shaikh Kamal Hossain said, “There’s nothing I can do. I’m helpless. A committee was formed to conduct the recruitment exam. Only they can explain what actually happened.”
He added that if any complaint was lodged, the authorities would investigate to verify the truth.