Bangladesh News

Recruitment of 70 successful candidates of the 23rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination has been stalled for seven years due to political conflicts between two elected governments and bureaucratic tangles during the present caretaker government.

The successful candidates of the following 24th, 25th and 26th BCS examinations have meanwhile joined the civil service, while viva voce of the 27th BCS is on.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) invited applications for the 23rd BCS examination only from the offspring of freedom fighters in 2001. But the then Awami League government could not complete all procedures before its tenure ended.

PSC sources said the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government halted the procedures during its tenure even ignoring a High Court verdict due apparently to the pressure from Jamaat-e-Islami.

The caretaker government initiated reforming the PSC for regaining public confidence in it. The reformed PSC headed by Dr Saadat Hussain finally announced the results on July 25, 2007 and sent some recommendations to the establishment ministry for appointing the successful candidates.

Although medical tests and police verification have ended the ministry has yet to issue the gadget notification due to bureaucratic red tape.

“All the procedures of the 23rd BCS have been completed but we’re facing some queries, which is the main reason for further delay. Besides, we’re also waiting for the permission of the chief adviser and the president,” Establishment Secretary Abdus Salam Khan told The Daily Star.

He also said they did not receive police verification reports of all the candidates.

“It’s an untold suffering. We’ve been victimised due to conflicts between two political governments,” said Selina Akhtar, who has been selected as a medical officer.

“Can you imagine seven years have already passed for completing a recruitment process? How many time will we have to wait for receiving our appointment gadgets?” Helena asked.

The preliminary test of the 23rd BCS (special) was held in March 2001 and written examinations in June 2001 during the AL rule. The psychological test was held in June 2003 and the viva voce in July 2003 during the BNP-Jamaat government.

PSC member M Abdur Rauf said the establishment ministry is solely responsible for issuing the gadget for the successful candidates.

“The PSC has no more functions except making some recommendations once it publishes the final results. The establishment ministry then normally takes three to four months for receiving medical reports from the Health Directorate and police verification reports from the home ministry,” he added.

The PSC published the circular of the 23rd BCS in January 2001 seeking applications for 709 posts. Only 1,523 candidates from freedom fighters’ families had responded.

Among them, 395 candidates passed the written examinations but only 103 were allowed to face the viva voce, as the PSC declared others disqualified on charge of submitting false freedom fighter certificates.

Twelve disqualified candidates filed a writ with the High Court against the PSC decision. The court on July 8, 2003 announced verdict that went in favour of the petitioners but the PSC did not act accordingly in the following four years.

The sources said the BNP-Jamaat government “politically” appointed Prof ZN Tahmida Begum as chairman of the commission after assuming power in 2001.

“Tahmida-led PSC body stopped the recruitment process even ignoring the High Court verdict. The PSC body acted like that because the circular was issued during the Awami League rule,” said a PSC director.

Finally, the new PSC body took the viva voce of another five candidates following the HC verdict and announced the results.

The successful candidates have urged the caretaker government to take measures so that they can join the civil service as soon as possible.