Indigenous candidates, who passed the 34th BCS preliminary test but were dropped from the list of the revised results, form a human chain in front of the capital's Jatiya Press Club yesterday demanding their inclusion in the new list, which was released six days after the first one. photo: star

Indigenous candidates yesterday demanded that the Public Service Commission (PSC) include all the adivasi applicants who came out successful in the 34th BCS preliminary test but were dropped from the list of the revised results.
The excluded indigenous candidates made the demand at a human chain in front of the capital's Jatiya Press Club.
The PSC dropped at least 280 candidates, mostly adivasis, who were on the first list, said Albericus Khalko, a victim. "The PSC has intentionally dropped the adivasi candidates from the list as part of a conspiracy," he said.
Had the PSC considered the qualifying mark to exclude the candidates from the revised list, many others would have also been dropped, Albericus said, asking, "So, why only indigenous candidates? He said they had confirmed that at least 137 adivasis were dropped from the second list.
Earlier, PSC Chairman AT Ahmedul Huq Choudhury and Exam Controller (Cadre) AYM Nesar Uddin told the media that the new list retained all successful candidates from the first list and added the new ones to the revised list, said Binoy Toppo, another victim.
If the PSC chairman's claim is true, how come the successful adivasi applicants were excluded, asked Binoy, demanding an explanation from the commission.
On July 8, the PSC published the preliminary test results based on the quota system, with 12,033 candidates qualifying for the written test. It triggered widespread protests among the unsuccessful candidates who said the application of the quota system in the preliminary phase had deprived them.
On July 14, the commission published the reviewed results, with a list of 46,250 successful candidates, almost four times the previous number.
Two days later, July 16, the excluded adivasi applicants submitted a memorandum to the PSC chief, the senior secretary to the public administration ministry, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts ministry to consider their demand.
In Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS), 56 percent of the total posts are reserved as quota, of which five percent are allotted to indigenous candidates.
Parbatya Chattagram Pahari Chhatra Parishad, Dhaka city unit, and Bangladesh Adivasi Chhatra Sangram Parishad, a body of indigenous students, joined the human chain.