We often come across stories of human follies that bear no rhyme or reason. The smaller ones can be dismissed as mere faux pas, but when it reaches the border of absurdity, one begins to wonder at the level of mental fitness of those concerned. One such story that came to our notice involves Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex), which reportedly invited job-seekers for a written test for the assistant manager post nearly eight years after they had applied! Yes, you heard it right. Those job-seekers had applied in 2014/15, and a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then. Many of them are now working at different government and private organisations.

But nothing seems to have changed in the world of Bapex which, in a letter, thanked the applicants for applying for the above post, and informed them that they had been selected for the written test after primary evaluation. Signed by the general manager (admin) of Bapex, the letter also asked them to submit their personal details, photos and copies of the "calling letter" by July 14, stressing that, otherwise, it will not be possible to send them admit cards for the written test.

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Been a bit too late for that!

Not that any of them are likely to attend the test, nor many are eligible any longer to attend it, even if they want to. One recipient of the letter is now working in a state-run bank as a senior officer. He said he had completely forgotten about his application. Another recipient said his age limit for the job had expired in 2016. How is it possible that Bapex failed to assess their eligibility before sending that letter? Those who moved from their former addresses heard about it from social media posts or old acquaintances.

Not surprisingly, the Bapex general manager said that the delay may have happened due to "administrative complications," and refused to take responsibility for the long delay or concerns of the applicants. This is, frankly, the definition of a disaster. The whole episode is a lesson in what not to do as an institution, especially one as important as Bapex. The mismanagement and incompetence demonstrated by this incident are typical of government offices which are, more often than not, slowed or encumbered by the bureaucratic deadweight. And that there are hardly any functional instruments of accountability only makes the situation worse.

We urge the Bapex authorities to investigate this incident and hold to account those responsible for it. The government should also ensure that such botch-ups never happen again.