Appointment eludes them despite PSC nod

Ferdous Islam was overjoyed when he was recommended for the education cadre in the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service exam.

Coming from a poor family, he had worked relentlessly for years, working as a private tutor to support himself.

After unsuccessful attempts in the 40th and 41st BCS exams, he finally secured success in the 43rd. But his dream soon turned into a nightmare when the government suddenly withheld the appointment notification.

"I'm now over the age limit to reapply," Ferdous told The Daily Star recently. "I was heartbroken for not being appointed despite qualifying… and then came the social stigma and family pressure. At times, it became so unbearable..."

Ferdous is among 227 candidates whose appointments have been on hold for over three months, following the suspension of the recruitment gazette by the public administration ministry.

The government has yet to announce a final decision, prolonging the uncertainty for those affected.

The interim government suspended the appointment notification on December 30 last year -- just two and a half months after it had been issued following recommendations from the Public Service Commission (PSC).

No reasons were cited.

The circular for the 43rd BCS was published on November 30, 2020. After the preliminary, written and viva examinations, the PSC recommended 2,163 candidates for recruitment on December 26, 2023.

The public administration ministry initially issued a recruitment gazette on October 15, 2023, appointing 2,064 candidates after excluding 99.

However, on  December 30, the ministry cancelled the gazette and issued a revised one, reducing the number of appointees to 1,896. Of the excluded 267 candidates, 40 were absent from the mandatory medical examination. The remaining 227 were termed "temporarily unsuitable" based on intelligence reports.

While the rest of the successful candidates from the 43rd BCS have joined their posts, the 227 remain in limbo.

According to public administration officials, there is no previous instance of a recruitment notification being suspended after publication, making the move highly controversial.

"If a candidate has a criminal case or is a listed criminal, this can be stated in police reports and publicly disclosed," said Firoz Mia, a former additional secretary to the public administration ministry.

"But excluding someone without a proven offence is unjustifiable. This is a sheer disregard for merit and goes against public expectations," he said.

On January 9 this year, the ministry held a meeting with two intelligence agencies and decided to review the reports concerning the 227 candidates, ministry sources said.

Md Mokles Ur Rahman, senior secretary of the ministry, told reporters that day, "If there is no record of criminal offence, sedition, or prior expulsion from an academic institution, the candidates will be allowed to join."

But a final decision is yet to be made.

On January 15, the 1,896 appointed candidates joined their respective posts and celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr with their families, receiving full salaries and bonuses.

"In contrast, can policymakers even imagine what kind of Eid we spent?" asked one of the 227 candidates still awaiting appointment.

"Given the age and health conditions of many of our parents, we couldn't even share this devastating uncertainty with them. We had faith in the government's assurances," the candidate added.

On January 19, intelligence agencies submitted re-verified reports to the public administration ministry. The file was sent to the Chief Adviser's Office for approval. As of now, no response has been received, officials confirmed.

A senior ministry official, requesting anonymity, said the majority of the re-verified reports were positive, although the exact number was not confirmed.

One candidate said, "We have contacted senior officials at the Chief Adviser's Office multiple times, pleading for updates, but no clear response has been given."

Ministry sources noted that 259 recommended candidates from the 28th to 42nd BCS exams were denied appointments during the Awami League's 15-year rule due to "ideological misalignment" with the then-government.

All 259 have now been appointed by the interim government.

"If candidates are once again being denied appointments for similar reasons, it only reminds us of the past misrule," said another senior official.

Contacted, Senior Secretary Mokles Ur Rahman said the matter now lies with the Chief Adviser's Office, and the ministry cannot comment until a response is received.

A senior official at the Chief Adviser's Office told The Daily Star, "There is no scope for making any comment until further instructions are received from the chief adviser. The Ministry of Public Administration will share information on the matter as per the chief adviser's directive."