|| Online Desk: Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has strongly protested the alleged exclusion of meritorious candidates recommended for appointment as assistant teachers in government primary schools, claiming that some candidates were being denied appointment on the pretext of verification.In a joint statement issued on Friday (September 25), Shibir President Nurul Islam and Secretary General Sibgatullah demanded a clear and transparent policy for verification, recruitment strictly on merit and an end to excluding candidates on the basis of their political identity or that of their family members.The statement comes amid a prolonged recruitment process involving 14,384 candidates selected for assistant teacher posts under the 2025 recruitment exercise. The Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) published the final results on February 8, 2026, selecting 14,384 candidates based on written and viva voce examinations held in 61 districts.The DPE subsequently instructed district primary education authorities to conduct police verification of the selected candidates, including checks on their previous activities and the authenticity of their documents.In its statement, Shibir leaders said that, according to claims made by the platform of candidates who were finally recommended for appointment, more than 1,200 candidates had allegedly not received appointment letters after verification.They also claimed that many of the excluded candidates had no criminal records and had not been informed of specific reasons for their exclusion.“Using political identity or family political affiliation as a basis for excluding candidates during verification is deeply concerning,” the leaders said, referring to allegations circulating on social media.They alleged that candidates were being denied appointments because of their lack of affiliation with BNP or its student wing, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, or because members of their families were allegedly associated with Jamaat-e-Islami or the National Citizens Party (NCP).These allegations could not be independently verified from the statement.Shibir also accused the government of politicising state institutions and described the alleged practice as contrary to the constitutional principle of equality of opportunity in public employment.The organisation cited Article 29 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality of opportunity for all citizens in public employment, and argued that candidates should not be deprived of appointments without clearly stated and legally valid grounds.The leaders said verification itself was a normal administrative procedure, but argued that the process must clearly specify what would be verified and under what circumstances a recommended candidate could be excluded.They demanded that candidates be informed of the specific reasons for any rejection and be given an opportunity to present their case and appeal.Shibir also called for a fresh review of cases involving candidates allegedly excluded on discriminatory grounds and an investigation into allegations that political identity had been used as a criterion in recruitment.The controversy follows months of uncertainty surrounding the recruitment process. In July, reports said the 14,384 selected candidates were still awaiting appointment letters because of delays in the verification process.The government later announced that the selected teachers would join their respective district primary education offices on October 1, 2026, with postings to schools scheduled afterward.The dispute therefore places renewed focus on the transparency of the final verification stage and the criteria used to determine eligibility after candidates have successfully completed the competitive recruitment process.