A student can finish his honours degree in four years at public universities nowadays. Four years have passed after the circular, but the recruitment process for the state-owned Rupali Bank has not been completed yet. Seven months have passed since the final viva, but the results have not been published yet -- immensely frustrating the candidates.

The Bankers' Selection Committee (BSC) was formed in September 2015 to appoint officials for state-owned banks and financial institutions. It was hoped that this would speed up the recruitment process for banks. But many recruitment processes are stuck in procrastination. Especially, in the first two years after the formation of BSC, the recruitment examinations did not gain momentum. At least 3 million applicants were in limbo for various exams. In the last two years, though the speed has picked up, the recruitment of officers for Rupali Bank has set a record in delay.

According to BSC and the candidates, the circular for the recruitment for Rupali Bank -- against 736 posts -- was published on August 3, 2016. The last date of application was August 23. More than 60,000 candidates applied for it.

The preliminary examination was held on November 13, 2019, three years after the circular; 10,119 people passed in the exam. Then the written test ended on December 26; 2,465 candidates were selected for viva.

The viva started on January 5 and ended on February 12 this year. But seven months have passed and the results are not yet published. According to the circular, four years, one month, and 10 days have passed and candidates have expressed anger over this record delay.

Expressing frustration, a graduate from the Department of Statistics, Dhaka University, told The Daily Star, "Why does it take four years to complete a recruitment test? It should not even take seven months after viva. We're in extreme despir."

Another graduate from the Department of Economics, Jagannath University, said, "Everything has been going normally for the last three months. However, the results are not yet published. We have been in touch with BSC since mid-March. Repeatedly they are saying the result will be published this week, then that week, but their week never comes. They even said, after Eid. But Eid was one and a half months ago; they did not publish the result." 

A student who graduated from the National University said, "Authorities do not understand the need for a job. All the recruitment notifications in 2016 and 2017 have gotten result. But the recruitment process of Rupali Bank is not over. After Rupali Bank's, many subsequent tests have been taken and results were published. Many have started working."

According to the candidates, after Rupali Bank, the results of recruitment tests for the post of an officer of Prabashi Kalyan Bank and senior officer of Rupali Bank have been published.

Asked about this, Arif Hossain Khan, general manager of Bangladesh Bank and member secretary of the Bankers' Selection Committee, told Daily Star, "Firstly, the examination could not be taken for the first three years due to lawsuits. At the end of last year, the exam was held and the viva was over in February. But due to shutdown and Covid-19 it was delayed."

Asked how the results of some of the other recruitment tests had been published, BSC member secretary Arif Hossain Khan said, "The result for the senior officer post of Rupali Bank has been published earlier because if the results for the officer were given, those who have passed for the senior officer post would leave. That is why this result has been published before. We will ask the candidates to be patient for some more time. The results will be published within this month."

The writer is a freelance journalist.