1st in civil service exam denied job!

Abdul Awal, a Master's degree holder from Comilla Victoria College, is still jobless even after standing first in the 29th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations.

He did not even know that he stood first in the combined merit list, let alone why he was not offered a job.

Awal's case was revealed, rather inadvertently, in the annual report of the Public Service Commission (PSC), a constitutional body, which is responsible for recruiting public servants.

Investigations following the report confirmed that the PSC had cancelled his candidature for a cadre job and further declared him ineligible for public service. But the authorities have not assigned any reason why and how such harsh measure was taken.

The PSC has also kept all such decisions confidential, in violation of rules to make them public. Instead, the PSC authorities claimed that he was not competent for standing first in view of his educational qualifications, although they did not carry out any investigation in this regard.

Awal said he had made an error in the optical mark recognition form he filled up for appearing in the BCS examinations. Although he was to darken the circle next to Comilla with a pen, he did the one next to Bandarban due to their proximity in the form, Awal said.

He also said that he duly notified the PSC much before the results and he was asked to submit an application to this end. In the middle of this process, he found withheld his results published on 28 February 2011.

However, he received a letter from the PSC on 5 May 2011 that asked him to contact the PSC in person with his relevant documents.

A PSC board comprising the controller of examinations Nesarudddin and PSC member Emran Kabir interviewed Awal on 18 May. He admitted his mistake saying his sister expired on the day he filled up the form. The board members also asked him to write answers to two questions instantly.

The board, in their report, said the answers written by Awal in the second examination were different from the answers written in answer sheets of the actual examinations two years ago.

The report said Awal appeared in the BCS examinations for the first time whereas many others did so more than once.

The board members had shown rude attitude to Awal who in turn had apprehensions that he would not be selected. The PSC board allegedly used abusive words.

Abdul Awal sent a legal notice upon the PSC on 9 September 2013, seeking appointment, based on the PSC annual report of 2012, where his name was published. He was given a police cadre, according to the report.

Awal then filed a writ petition with the High Court (HC) division of the Supreme Court.

A High Court bench ordered the PSC to appoint Abdul Awal in the civil service.

Although six months have elapsed since the order was issued, the PSC is yet to comply with it (HC order).

One Kazi Arif Billah, who appeared in the

31st BCS examinations, said his candidature was cancelled due to an error in writing the date in his application form, which was notified and circulated to all the units of the PSC and published by the newspapers.

This procedure was not followed in Awal's case and the PSC authorities used their personal discretion to keep it confidential.

As the matter was somehow published in the PSC annual report, the authorities suspended two officials for publishing Awal's name there. A probe body was also formed in this connection.

One of the suspended officials has in the meantime challenged his suspension filing a petition with the court. He claimed that Awal's name was published as per record.

When asked if he used any unfair means Awal said he did not do so. Asked whether anyone asked bribe from him. He said, "You may draw your own conclusion."

Asked about Awal's matter, PSC exam controller Nesaruddin said, "It was reported to the proper authorities." He has been serving as the controller since 2008 but none stayed in this sensitive position for so long.

Emran Kabir, who is no longer a member of the PSC, said the decision of canceling Awal's candidature was taken following discussions with everyone.

Current chairman of the PSC Ikram Ahmed said, "I was not the PSC chairman at that time so I can't comment in this."