Question leak claims force suspension of DYD recruitment test

The recruitment examination for assistant upazila youth development officers was suspended on Saturday over allegations that the question paper had been leaked, prompting job seekers to block roads at several locations in the capital.
The Department of Youth Development (DYD) has provisionally rescheduled the test for 3pm on 16 October. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has formed a five-member committee to investigate the allegations and asked it to submit its report within three working days.
The exam was scheduled to be held simultaneously at around 100 centres across the capital at 11am to fill 242 vacant Grade 11 posts. All preparations had been completed. However, allegations of a leak began circulating on social media the previous night, after which the authorities decided to suspend the exam. Mazharul Haque, assistant director (Administration-5) of the DYD, said, "I was also at an exam centre. Later, I received a message from the higher authorities stating that the examination had been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. We are acting accordingly."
Candidates who arrived at the centres and learned of the suspension expressed anger. They took to the streets near Bangla College in Mirpur, the Aarong intersection on Manik Mia Avenue and the Nilkhet intersection, among other areas. Later, a group gathered in front of the DYD headquarters in Dilkusha, Motijheel, having travelled by bus from Mirpur and other parts of the capital. The simultaneous demonstrations caused traffic congestion on several roads. Rafiqul Islam, deputy commissioner of the Tejgaon Traffic Division, said, "The candidates blocked Manik Mia Avenue at around 11:45am. They cleared the road about an hour later." Police later dispersed the protesters, and traffic gradually returned to normal.
According to a ministry statement, the exam was suspended after the question paper was found circulating on social media. The additional secretary of the ministry's Administration Division is the committee's convener,  and the deputy secretary of the Administration Wing is its member-secretary. The other members are a joint secretary of the Finance and Performance Management Wing, a joint secretary-rank representative of the Ministry of Public Administration and the director (Seed Financing Wing) of the DYD.
The new exam date was announced in a press release signed by DM Atikur Rahman, joint secretary and director (Administration) of the DYD, who also convenes the recruitment committee. Candidates will be notified of the revised schedule by SMS. The authorities said disciplinary action would be taken against those responsible once the investigation report is received.