Responding to the demands and concerns of candidates excluded from the second gazette of the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS), the government is likely to review the lists to determine the reasons for their exclusion. To evaluate the reasons behind the exclusion of candidates, the Ministry of Public Administration has scheduled a meeting on Thursday (9 January) in the ministry's conference room at the Secretariat.
The fate of the 227 candidates who were excluded from the final recruitment notice for the 43rd BCS examination for first-class jobs in the government will be determined at the meeting. According to Public Administration Ministry officials, the top officials from two government agencies, which suggested the exclusion of these candidates after verifying their personal status, have been directed to send representatives equipped with relevant data and evidence to the meeting.
High-level government sources emphasised that the Public Administration Ministry never decides independently to exclude or include candidates. However, there is a widespread misconception among the public that the ministry plays a direct role in these decisions. To address this misunderstanding, the agencies that submitted reports on the BCS candidates have been asked to clarify their positions with supporting evidence.
Ministry officials noted that such meetings are rarely called, and this initiative is commendable. Candidates deserve to know the reasons behind their exclusion, as the decisions were based on intelligence agency reports. The ministry clarified that some candidates did not participate in mandatory health examinations, while others were excluded for reasons outlined in the agency submissions.
As many as 227 individuals were excluded from the gazette issued on 30 December last year due to negative re-evaluation reports, along with 40 others who missed the health check. A revised notification was then issued, confirming the appointment of 1,896 candidates.
Since then, the applicants, who had previously passed the examination, have held various programmes and protests to demand their reinstatement. On Sunday, the group collectively appealed to the Secretary of Public Administration to reconsider their appointment.
On 25 January 2024, the Bangladesh Public Service Commission had provisionally nominated 2,163 candidates for recruitment to various cadres through the 43rd BCS examination. These 2,163 applicants were processed through a pre-screening by the Special Branch of the police and the deputy commissioners of the relevant districts. Forty candidates did not attend their health examination, and 59 were temporarily dropped due to agency reports, leaving 2,064 to receive appointments in a notice issued on 15 October last year.
The notice raised questions from several quarters about the legitimacy of the recruitment. In order to re-establish trust and confidence in the recruitment process, to clear away criticism, and to allow recruited candidates to start work with a clean image, it was decided that the two agencies would conduct further screening through a re-evaluation of the candidates.
