47th BCS: Results will not be published this month; candidates demand increase in posts
Candidates awaiting the final results of the 47th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination will have to wait a little longer.
Although previous indications from several Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) sources suggested that the results would be published by the end of June, the Commission now expects to announce the final results during the first week of July.
Professor Mobasser Monem, chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC), said that the viva voce examinations for the 47th BCS had concluded.
The Commission is currently carrying out the final verification process and compilation of marks. He said that the PSC expects to publish the final results within the first week of July.
Meanwhile, candidates who sat for the 47th BCS have strongly urged the authorities to increase the number of both cadre and non-cadre posts.
Under the current recruitment notice, the government plans to appoint a total of 3,688 candidates, comprising 3,487 cadre posts and 201 non-cadre posts.
However, the candidates argue that, in line with previous BCS examinations, the government should increase the number of vacant posts before publishing the final results.
In the 38th BCS, the authorities added 400 cadre posts at the final stage of the recruitment process, while the 41st BCS saw an increase of 520 cadre posts before the publication of the final results.
A 47th BCS candidate, requesting anonymity, said, "The authorities have increased the number of vacant posts before publishing the final results in every previous BCS examination. We have spent nearly two years completing the lengthy written and viva voce examination process. During this period, many more posts have fallen vacant in various government departments. We hope the government will take a humane approach and increase the number of posts before publishing the final results."
The candidates have also called for an end to the practice of allowing "repeat" and "lower cadre" appointments in the cadre service. In other words, they want candidates who have already secured a cadre position through an earlier BCS examination to become ineligible for recommendation to the same or a lower cadre in subsequent BCS examinations.
They have further requested that the authorities provide another opportunity to revise their order of preference (re-choice) for non-cadre appointments, as many candidates have accepted other government jobs during the prolonged recruitment process.
Responding to the demand for an increase in cadre posts, the PSC chairman said that the Commission had not yet received any decision from the relevant ministry regarding an increase in cadre positions.
He explained that the PSC could not increase the number of posts on its own unless the ministry submitted an official requisition.
When asked whether there was any possibility of increasing the number of cadre posts for the 47th BCS, Aknur Rahman, additional secretary in charge of the Appointment, Promotion and Deputation (APD) Wing of the Ministry of Public Administration, declined to comment. As a result, uncertainty continues to surround the issue.
The PSC announced that 3,631 candidates passed the written examination for the 47th BCS, and the Commission began conducting viva voce examinations in May.
The PSC also stated that it is making strong preparations to implement its "One BCS, One Year" roadmap in order to reduce delays in the recruitment process. The Commission plans to implement the initiative fully from the 50th BCS onwards.