In Dhaka’s Ramna Park, police clashed with protesters on Monday afternoon who were demanding that the age limit for public service entry be raised to 35 years.

The protesters, mainly job-seeking youths, attempted to march towards the residence of Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, leading to a standoff with law enforcement.

Clashes escalated around 1:45 p.m., when hundreds of protesters, who had gathered earlier in the day, pushed past police barricades near the residence of Chief Advisor Muhammad Younis.

When the protesters tried to approach Yunus’ residence, the police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Witnesses reported chaotic scenes as protesters fled in different directions.

Apart from the tear gas, many protesters alleged that the police lathi-charged them.

However, the police said the protesters ignored repeated requests to leave the area, prompting them to take action.

Attempts to contact the officer-in-charge of Ramna police station for comment were unsuccessful.

Earlier in the day, protesters gathered at the Shah Bagh intersection near the National Museum for a rally that began around 11:00 am.

The protesters, who included students and recent graduates from across the country, demanded that the upper age limit for entry into public service be raised from 30 to 35 years.

He cited disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, and longer education sessions as reasons why many people missed the current age limit.

Ilyas Kanchan, founder of ‘Nirapad Sirk Chai’, also supported the demands of the protesters, expressing solidarity with those affected by the employment age limit.

At around 1:30 p.m., the protesters marched from Shahbagh towards the official residence of Mohammad Younis, located in the Ramna Park area, breaking the police barricade.

On approaching the residence, tensions escalated as the police blocked their further progress.

As the protesters continued to advance, scuffles broke out, prompting police to fire tear gas into the crowd to disperse the demonstration.