Viva date: 10 June 2023
Cadre preferences: Police, Administration, Tax, Customs, Health, Family Planning
Viva board: Board No. 6
Board chairman: PSC Member (name withheld)
Duration: Around 15 minutes
Serial: 11
Result: Recommended for the Police cadre
Since I was 11th out of 15 candidates, I entered the viva room quite late. I checked the time before going in. It was around 12:35 pm.
After the bell rang, I entered.
Me: Sir, may I come in?
Chairman: Come in.
(I had barely stepped inside when the chairman greeted me first. I did not even get the chance to greet him first.)
Chairman: What's your name?
I greeted him and said, Ehsanul Haque.
The chairman called me over to his desk, extended his hand and shook hands with me. I later learned that he does this with every candidate. After checking my documents, he said, Oh, you're a doctor?
Me: Yes, sir.
Chairman: What's your first cadre choice?
Me: Sir, Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Police.
Chairman: Why Police? Why do you want to leave medicine and join the Police?
Me: (I had prepared this answer.) Sir, in Bangladesh's socio-economic context, serving people effectively requires lawful authority. The police have that legal authority, which is why I chose the Police cadre as my first preference.
Chairman: Don't doctors have that authority?
Me: Not in the same way, sir.
Chairman: How so?
Me: For example, a doctor prescribes medicines, but if a patient does not complete an antibiotic course and contributes to antibiotic resistance, the doctor has little authority to enforce compliance. On the other hand, if a motorcyclist rides without a helmet, the police can compel them to wear one. So, even to serve people effectively in our country, one needs legitimate authority.
Chairman: Alright, go and take your seat.
(The chairman then asked External Member 1 to begin.)
External Member 1
Q: Where is the Strait of Hormuz?
A: Sir, it is the strait connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Q: Where is the Strait of Gibraltar?
A: Sir, it connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.
Q: When will our national budget be presented?
A: (It was in that morning's newspaper, which I had read.) Sir, on 11 June, tomorrow.
Q: Where does our Constitution mention the budget?
A: Sir, Articles 87 to 91 deal with public expenditure and grants.
(The examiner wanted me to mention additional constitutional provisions, but I couldn't.)
Q: What type of budget do we have?
A: Sir, a deficit budget.
Q: How is the deficit financed?
A: Sir, through domestic sources and foreign assistance.
Q: The IMF and the World Bank classify countries based on GDP. Do you know about that?
A: Sorry, sir. I can't recall it at the moment.
Q: What is the relationship between crime and GDP?
A: Sir, when crime increases, the socio-economic environment becomes unstable. This discourages investment and threatens overall economic activity, which can negatively affect GDP.
Q: Why do people commit crimes?
A: Sir, financial hardship, erosion of values and lack of proper education.
Q: Why are rape cases increasing nowadays?
A: Sir, the main reasons are moral decline and the erosion of values. Bangladesh is also going through a demographic dividend period, where many people within a certain age group remain unemployed and lack proper education. This further contributes to the erosion of values. Case studies show that many rape offenders belong to this age group.
Q: What is Bangladesh's per capita national income?
A: Sir, according to the latest Economic Survey, it is USD 2,820.
Q: What is India's?
A: Sorry, sir.
Q: Whose per capita national income is higher—Bangladesh's or India's?
A: Ours, sir. (I knew this one.)
(As far as I remember, these were most of the questions asked by External Member 1. There were two questions I either couldn't understand or didn't hear properly, so I simply said, "Sorry, sir.")
External Member 2
Q: Are you currently practising medicine anywhere?
A: No, sir. I'm currently preparing for the BCS examination, so I haven't been practising for the last six months.
Q: And your first choice is the Police?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Tell me, what are an inquest report (surathal) and a post-mortem examination?
A: Sir, an inquest report is the preliminary report prepared by the police or a magistrate after an unnatural or suspicious death, documenting the apparent cause of death and the external condition of the body. A post-mortem examination is the medical examination conducted by a doctor to determine the actual cause of death.
Q: Do you know what Section 144 is?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Where is it provided?
A: In the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), sir.
Q: Who imposes it and why?
A: The District Magistrate, Sir, to prevent unlawful assemblies and maintain public order.
Q: What is the Sunset Law?
A: Sir, under the Permanent Settlement introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793, the Sunset Law was a strict revenue collection rule. It required zamindars to deposit government land revenue before sunset on the specified date. Failure to do so resulted in the confiscation of their estates, which were then auctioned off.
Q: What is your second cadre preference?
A: Sir, BCS Administration.
Chairman: (Turning to External Member 2) Ask him some questions from the Administration cadre.
Q: What are the responsibilities of an Assistant Commissioner (Land)?
A: Mutation (name transfer), collection of land revenue, management of khas land and protection of government property.
Q: What's the primary responsibility? Answer in one sentence.
A: Sir, land revenue collection and land administration.
Q: How do the UNO and the Assistant Commissioner (Land) coordinate their work?
A: (I didn't fully understand the question but tried to answer.) Sir, through administrative coordination, maintaining law and order, and conducting eviction drives.
(The examiner interrupted me.)
Chairman
Q: What's your third preference?
A: Sir, BCS Tax.
Q: And then?
A: Sir, BCS Customs and Excise.
Q: Didn't you keep Health as a preference?
A: I did, sir. Health comes after that.
Q: Why? Why do all of you dislike the Health cadre so much?
(This was the only remark during the entire viva that genuinely upset me. Still, I smiled and replied.)
A: Sir, it's not that I dislike it. The matter is...
(I was about to explain further when the chairman stopped me and said,)
Chairman: Come and stand in the middle.
(I stood between the three examiners' tables.)
Chairman: Deliver a short speech in English on a subject of your choice.
I began speaking about Orthopaedics, as I had hoped to build my career in that specialty, God willing. After about a minute, the chairman interrupted.
Chairman: Alright, you may leave now.
I collected my documents from External Member 2, greeted the chairman, and left the room. I checked the time again after coming out, it had been about 15 minutes.
Ehsanul Haque, physician. Alma mater: Rangpur Medical College. Session: 2016–17