Resume Sonali Bank recruitment for 2,201 posts: SC

Supreme Court today cleared the way for the authorities concerned to resume recruitment process for 2,201 posts of senior officer, officer and cash officer of Sonali Bank.

The apex court lifted its earlier order that had directed the authorities to maintain status quo on the process for recruitments to these posts.

The four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order through dismissing five separate leave to appeal petitions filed by the job seekers against the High Court verdict on this issue.

The authorities concerned of Sonali Bank issued three separate circulars on February 22, 2016 for recruiting a total of 2,201 senior officer, officer and cash officers for the bank.

A total of 474 people, who were applicants for the posts of Sonali Bank on the basis of another circular issued on January 31, 2014, filed five separate writ petitions with the HC challenging the legality of the three recruitment circulars issued on February 22, 2016.

The writ petitioners said in the petitions that their names were mentioned in the internal merit list prepared by the authorities after they qualified in the examinations held on the basis of the circular issued on January 31, 2014, but they were not recruited.

After holding final hearing, the HC on July 27 last year rejected the writ petitions, Barrister Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury, a lawyer for Sonali Bank, told The Daily Star.

The writ petitioners later on filed five separate leave to appeal petitions with the SC challenging the HC verdict.

Following the leave to appeal petitions, the SC chamber judge directed the authorities to maintain status quo on the process for recruitments to the posts under the circulars issued on February 22, 2016.

Today, the full bench of the Appellate Division vacated the order of status quo meaning that the Sonali Bank authorities can resume the process for recruiting candidates to 2,201 posts of senior officer, officer and cash officer of the bank under the February 22, 2016 circulars, Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury added.

Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh appeared for Sonali Bank, while Advocate Abdul MatinKhasru, Advocate QuamrulHaque Siddique, Advocate Rafiqur Rahman and Advocate AM Aminuddin argued for the writ petitioners.