Dhaka, Oct 14 (V7N) — The Public Administration Reforms Commission has recommended increasing the age limit for entry into government jobs in Bangladesh to 35 years for men and 37 years for women , marking a significant shift in public service recruitment policy. The recommendation was announced by Abdul Mueed Chowdhury , head of the commission, during a press briefing at the secretariat on Monday.

Mueed Chowdhury emphasized that the final decision would be made by the government’s advisory council, but the committee believes the proposed changes are both logical and necessary to address socio-economic realities.

“We are recommending this change based on global trends and socio-economic factors,” he said. “Many countries have higher age limits for entering public service, and we believe this recommendation reflects fairness and gender equality by providing additional consideration for women.”

Current Age Limits and Proposed Changes
The current age limit for entering government jobs in Bangladesh is 30 years , with an extension to 32 years for children and grandchildren of freedom fighters. However, the committee's proposal makes no separate provision for the descendants of freedom fighters.

The recommendation to extend the age limit beyond 35 years for men and 37 years for women is a move that goes beyond the demands of long-standing student protests. For nearly a decade, students have been advocating for raising the entry age to 35 years. The new proposal, which exceeds these demands, is seen as an unprecedented development.

Committee's Deliberation and Rationale
Initially, the commission considered raising the entry age to 32 years for men and 33 years for women . However, after discussions with student groups, they opted for a higher limit. "We believe this change will reduce age discrimination and offer more opportunities to job seekers, especially women," a committee member said.

The commission did not address the issue of retirement age in its recommendations, but experts suggest that if the government accepts the proposal, there may be pressure to raise the retirement age as well.

Formation and Composition of the Committee
The government formed the five-member committee on September 30, 2024, in response to student demands for reform. The committee was chaired by Abdul Mueed Chowdhury , a former caretaker government advisor. The committee also included Mokhles ur Rahman , Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, and other high-ranking officials from various departments.

The government is expected to make its decision on the committee’s recommendations in the coming weeks.

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