Cheers for BCL:Daily Star

It is good news for the Bangladesh Chhatra League men but a shock for others aspiring to be bureaucrats. The BCL men will just have to try and get over the hurdle of written test in civil service examinations. "We will see how much we can help you with the viva voce," pledged HT Imam, one of the advisers to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at a discussion at Dhaka University yesterday.  "Our leader [
Sheikh Hasina] has told us to arrange jobs for you by any means," he said. Quizzically though, the prime minister had said just the opposite at a meeting the day before. Speaking at the Digital Centre Entrepreneurs Conference, the PM urged the country's youths to be self-reliant and not to lobby for jobs. She said it is not dignified for an educated person to go door to door for a job.   However, HT Imam yesterday said, “Whenever I take anyone's Curriculum Vitae to the prime minister or request her to give someone a job, she asks whether the person was involved in Chhatra League politics and also about his or her contribution to politics.” “Many of you [BCL activists] often request for a job … is there anyone who cares about you more than our leader and I do? We are trying our best to ensure jobs for you.” Advertisement The BCL men have little time to study as they work for the party and help the government in its tasks. But others don't have to work like them, he said. The adviser said they were thinking about how to promote businesses for ex-BCL activists now ineligible for public jobs because of the age bar. HT Imam said the BCL is a disciplined student body, and he is proud of it. Terming the BCL men the country's future, the adviser asked them to concentrate on study. If necessary, he was ready to conduct classes to help them prepare for BCS exams. Imam, also member of the Awami League advisory council, pointed out the advantage of having party men in the administration, and how the AL benefited from them. Days before the January 5 polls, many pro-AL officials were inducted into mobile courts that helped the government resist the BNP-Jamaat's bid to thwart the election. “They [pro-AL officials] stood beside us. Nineteen of our policemen were killed brutally by Jamaat-Shibir men,” he said, referring to the pre-election violence across the country. In his reaction to Imam's statement, Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “We are already concerned about politicisation of the administration. Such statements would further aggravate the situation.” It is extra-constitutional to favour one over another on the basis of political allegiance, as the constitution guarantees equal opportunity for all, he told The Daily Star. A number of jobseekers and BCS examinees decried HT Imam's statement, saying meritorious students would be deprived if public jobs are given on political considerations. Tuhin Abdullah, an aspirant for a government job, said, “We are deeply shocked at such comment. We study day and night to get a public job. “Our dreams will be shattered if public jobs are given on political considerations,” said the ex-Dhaka University student, who is preparing for the next BCS exam. The BCL organised the discussion at the TSC auditorium on the DU campus to commemorate the Jail Killing Day. BCL President HM Bodiuzzaman Shohag and General Secretary Siddiqui Nazmul Alam spoke there. Leaders of the pro-AL student organisation will meet PM's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy at the Gono Bhaban at 10:00am today.