Police picked up four candidates and a pedestrian from the premises of Dhaka Reporters' Unity, where the press conference was to be held at 11:00am.

Akhter Morshed, second officer of Shahbagh Police Station, said the candidates were going to hold a press conference without prior permission from the government which was a violation of the state of emergency.

Later the arrestees were freed on bail after signing a bond to the effect that they would not violate the state of emergency by holding any such programme without prior permission from the authorities, he added.

Several successful candidates, who 'were preparing to join' the cadre service jobs, termed the government decision to cancel the viva voce 'unjust'.

"For the alleged corruption and irregularities of a few paople, why all of us who studied hard for the examinations should suffer?" said a successful candidate.

The council of advisers to the caretaker government on May 30 requested the Public Service Commission (PSC), which holds the BCS examinations, to cancel the viva voce results of the controversial 27th BCS examinations and immediately reschedule the viva for all successful candidates of the written examinations.

There were allegations of widespread corruption and irregularities at different stages of the examinations that were held during the BNP-Jamaat led coalition government's tenure.

Candidates who passed the viva voce expressed frustration at the government decision while the candidates who passed the written examinations but were disqualified in the viva voce welcomed the decision.

Earlier Fair BCS Movement was barred from holding programmes including press conference, roundtable and discussion meeting on the issue of the 27th BCS, especially the demand for cancellation of the examination results.