The general cadre jobs in the civil service have become so lucrative that even medical and engineering graduates are queuing up for them, giving up careers in the two highly specialised fields.

Around 30 percent of the general cadres recruited through the last three Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations graduated from either medical colleges or engineering universities, shows Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PCS) data.

The government spends a lot of money on medical and engineering students, and the skills they acquire are important for the country, said Mohammad Kaykobad, distinguished professor of Brac University.

Knowledge and the country's resources are wasted when such graduates choose civil service,said the professor who taught at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) for over 40 years.

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Administrative power, perks, quick promotions, and what is perceived as a discrimination against non-admin cadre officers are the reasons why graduates gravitate towards the general cadre, said several bureaucrats.

In the 43rd BCS, recruits in the admin cadre included 183 engineers and 25 doctors, which is 32.24 percent of the total number, according to PSC sources.

The trend was similar in the 40th and 41st BCS.

Dhaka University Prof Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury said, "Doctors and engineers turning away from their specialised field is a new phenomenon. It was not the case in the past.

"This indicates that meritorious students find jobs in administration more lucrative ..."

The 13 categories of general BCS include administration, police and foreign services while the 13 categories of specialised BCS include education and health. Any university graduate can participate in the recruitment tests for general cadres.

WHY IS GENERAL CADRE SO POPULAR?

In the 41st BCS, 36,098 engineering and 22,715 medical graduates applied for jobs under the general cadre while in the 43rd BCS, 47,315 engineering and 15,665 medical graduates vied for the jobs.

A PSC official said the number of applications from doctors fell in the 43rd BCS because the preceding BCS tests were held to recruit only doctors: 4,000 physicians were hired from 31,026 applicants.

"It is widely known that the administration officers reign over others. They have the chance to become top bureaucrats," said a PSC official, requesting anonymity.

A foreign service officer who is a medical graduate, said, "A foreign service officer gets additional benefits when posted abroad. The ones appointed in a developed country can get their children enrolled at good schools. There are many other incentives."

An admin cadre officer has the opportunity to be promoted as an upazila nirbahi officer within a relatively short period of time.

"But doctors, engineers and other cadre officials wait for years for a promotion. In most cases, they work under younger admin cadre colleagues. It is clear discrimination."

SM Golam Kibria, former president of BCS Information Association, said while some administration cadre officers of the 13th BCS have been appointed as secretaries -- the top grade for a bureaucrat -- officers of the same batch in education cadre have reached the 4th grade at best, and those in health reached the 3rd grade.

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Prof Baizid Khoorshid Riaz, additional director general of the Directorate General of Medical Education, said, "A deputy secretary gets an interest-free car loan and Tk 50,000 per month to pay for a chauffeur and maintain the vehicle. A professor gets no such thing."

Serajul Islam Choudhury said medical graduates choosing other fields is alarming when the country is facing a dearth of doctors, especially in rural areas.

"It's a pity that they go to villages as public servants, but not as physicians."

Contacted, PSC Chairman Sohorab Hossain said he has nothing to comment on the issue.

The commission recommends candidates as per the rules, he said.