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বাংলা E-Paper 📍 Dhaka 📅 Tuesday | 8 September 2026, 24 Bhadro 1433 PID registration number 06

HEADLINE

● Increasing viva marks promotes nepotism in govt jobs: Hasnat ● Bidisha released on bail from Kashimpur jail ● Israel advises citizens to avoid Bangladesh over terror risk ● Two more children die of measles as total death toll hits 999 ● FM Khalilur Rahman to sworn in as 81st UNGA President ● Maitree Express may resume soon as Dhaka-Kolkata talks near breakthrough ● Cashless transactions can curb corruption: Finance Minister

Increasing viva marks promotes nepotism in govt jobs: Hasnat

Published : Tuesday, 8 September, 2026 at 6:19 PM

Observer Online Report

Collected Photo

Cumilla-4 Member of Parliament Hasnat Abdullah has strongly criticized the government's decision to increase viva voce marks for 11th to 20th-grade civil service recruitment, warning it will foster nepotism, lobbying, and political influence.

In a detailed post published on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, the lawmaker called the move a "suicidal decision" that threatens the credibility of the entire public recruitment system. He argued that while public demand has long favored prioritizing merit in objective written examinations over subjective oral tests, the government is taking the opposite path.

Hasnat highlighted that under the proposed structure, viva marks are set at 50 against 100 in written exams for Grades 11-12, 40 for Grades 13-16, and 25 for Grades 17-20. He pointed out that written examinations are objective as all candidates face the same questions, whereas viva voce tests are highly subjective.

Giving interview boards extensive discretionary power without proper accountability creates room for favoritism, personal connections, and political considerations.

The MP emphasized that employees in Grades 11 to 20 serve as street-level bureaucrats who deal directly with the general public. Allowing political loyalty or personal identity to influence the recruitment of front-line service providers will jeopardize the delivery of state welfare initiatives, such as family cards or farmer cards, turning them into party-controlled assets and causing widespread public discontent.

Clarifying his position, Hasnat stated he is not advocating for the complete cancellation of viva voce tests.

Instead, he called for a structured, transparent, and accountable interview system governed by specific rubrics to ensure that discretionary assessment remains within defined criteria, keeping merit and competence as the sole basis for state employment.

-SA

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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

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