Days of uncertainty
Candidates of the 45th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) preliminary test are passing days in anxiety as they are still in the dark about when the exam will take place.
The Public Service Commission (PSC), in a circular published on November 30 last year, said the preliminary exams might take place in the second week of March.
In the last three BCS exams, the PSC officially announced the dates of the preliminary exams at least two months ahead of the tests. However, they were yet to officially announce the date of this year's preliminary exam as of now.
PSC announced the dates of the 41st and 43rd preliminary tests two months before the examinations, while the date of the 44th test was announced four months before the test.
They announced the date for the 42nd BCS preliminary test special for doctors 44 days ahead of the exam.
PSC officials said they are working to hold the examination according to their previously announced roadmap. However, it might be difficult to do so, as the authorities entrusted with the responsibilities to print and supply question papers are yet to assure the PSC when they will be able to supply the preliminary questions.
We are passing our days in constant anxiety. PSC should announce the date immediately so that we can adequately prepare and plan for the exam. Many aspirants come from rural areas. They need to travel to cities to attend the exam.
"Holding the 45th BCS preliminary test on March 10 will be very difficult. We will still monitor the situation till the first week of March. Candidates will have to wait for more to know the exam date," a PSC member told the Daily Star, requesting anonymity.
Another PSC member said they held a meeting with the press authorities on Sunday, but the latter could not confirm when they will be able to provide the papers for the exams.
"The commission would announce the date only after getting confirmation from the printing authorities," said the member.
"Apart from that there are some other issues, including the availability of test centres, that BPSC is currently trying to resolve."
Several aspirants apprehended that PSC might not be able to conduct the exam in the second week of March as the Health Ministry has already announced that the medical college exams will be held on March 10, which is a Friday.
Usually, the BCS preliminary tests are held on Fridays.
"We are passing our days in constant anxiety. PSC should announce the date immediately so that we can adequately prepare and plan for the exam," Sharmin Akter, a graduate from Government Rajendra College, told The Daily Star.
"Many aspirants come from rural areas. They need to travel to cities to attend the exam," she added.
Hamid Hasan, a graduate from Dhaka university and a BCS candidate, said as the PSC is not announcing anything clearly about the exam date, misinformation and rumours are being spread regarding the exam dates.
"Further delays would take a heavy toll on general students," he added.
The PSC published the 45th BCS circular -- seeking applications for 2,309 posts -- on November 30. About 318,000 candidates have applied to sit for the exam.
The BCS examination is a nationwide competitive examination for recruitment to the civil service. The examination is conducted in three phases -- the preliminary examination, the written examination and the viva voce.
Contacted, Ananda Kumar Biswas, exam controller of PSC, said, "We are at the final stage of moderating the question papers and have already uploaded the admit cards on the website. We will hold a meeting once we get confirmation from the printing authorities and announce the exam date after that."
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