Online Desk: The recruitment examination for the post of Assistant Upazila Youth Development Officer under the Department of Youth Development was postponed today following allegations of question paper leak, triggering strong reactions from job seekers and student organizations.
The examination was scheduled to be held today, 10 October 2026, across the country.
In a joint statement, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir Central President Nurul Islam and Secretary General Sibgatullah condemned the incident and expressed deep concern. They said incidents of question leaks in state recruitment examinations contradict the expectation of building a merit-based and discrimination-free state.
"Postponement of an exam at the last moment due to question leak after years of hard work and preparation is extremely frustrating for job seekers," the statement said. "Such irregularities deprive honest and meritorious candidates of equal opportunity and erode their confidence in the state recruitment system."
The statement also linked the incident to a series of recent controversies surrounding public recruitment. It mentioned exclusion of candidates from the final BCS gazette, delay in police verification, a controversial recommendation to increase viva marks by 400 percent, and now the question leak, stating that these developments within eight months of the BNP government formation have raised questions about the government`s commitment to a discrimination-free state.
Shibir leaders alleged that the continuity of irregularities and question leaks seen in PSC and other government recruitment exams during what they termed as the previous "fascist regime" is persisting due to the continuation of the old establishment for narrow partisan interests. They said in the new Bangladesh, continuation of past irregularities and politicization in recruitment is not desirable, and merit, skill and qualification should be the only criteria.The organization placed a four-point demand in its statement:
1. Identify those involved in the question leak through an impartial investigation and ensure exemplary punishment through speedy trial under applicable laws.
2. Immediately relieve the State Minister for Youth and Sports and the Director General of the Department of Youth Development from their responsibilities for administrative failure to ensure a neutral investigation.
3. Provide appropriate compensation to the affected examinees considering their travel expenses.
4. Replace the old establishment to ensure appointment of honest, competent and meritorious persons, and introduce modern technology-based security measures in question preparation, preservation and distribution to prevent recurrence of leaks.
The Department of Youth Development and the Ministry of Youth and Sports are yet to issue a detailed official statement on the leak allegation and the next date of the examination.
Thousands of candidates from across the country were scheduled to appear in today`s examination for the post of Assistant Upazila Youth Development Officer, a key field-level position responsible for youth training and entrepreneurship development activities.