Petroleum institute not getting applications from qualified scientists

Bangladesh Petroleum Institute (BPI) could not get any qualified candidate for the post of chief scientific officer even after publishing a circular in this regard in newspapers.

BPI published the circular asking applications for the posts of chief scientific officer, senior scientific officer and deputy director.

Examinations for senior scientific officer and deputy director has been taken but no exam could be taken for the post of chief scientific officer as no competent candidate applied for the post.

BPI is an autonomous national research institute under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

For the chief scientific officer post, BPI sought applications from candidates with a PhD degree either in geology, geophysics, petroleum, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, mining engineering or any other subject related to these subjects from any recognised university; or first class or equivalent CGPA in Masters from geology or geophysics, or second class or equivalent CGPA in Bachelor (Hons.) and first class or equivalent CGPA in Masters from petroleum engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, mining engineering or first class or equivalent CGPA in BSC (engineering).

No qualified candidate can have a third class or division or equivalent CGPA in any level of education, the circular also mentioned.

It further said the candidate should have at least 12 years’ experience in research, extraction of petroleum or mineral, development, gas transmission and distribution. But candidates with a PhD degree could be accepted for having at least three years’ experience.

A qualified candidate must have capacity to advise on extraction of petroleum or mineral, development and other issues and must have at least two scientific or technical articles in international standard journals in relevant disciplines, said the circular.

But none of the candidates who applied to the BPI for the post of chief scientific officer had those qualities. That’s why the national research institute could not take any exam for the post, it said.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, BPI’s scientific officer (SO) Md. Rony Raihan said, “No candidate who applied for the post had the qualifications sought. As no qualified candidate was found, no exam is going to be taken for the post. The circular for the post of chief scientific officer will be published in newspapers again.”

Rony Raihan further said a chief scientific officer works as an advisor, remains involved in extraction of petroleum or mineral resources and research. He also advises on development of mineral resources, research and other necessary issues.

Speaking to Prothom Alo about not getting any qualified candidate for the post of chief scientific officer, Shaumik Rahman, teacher of Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said, “The scope of research in our country is very limited. It is hard to get the assistance necessary for any research. Besides, the environment of research at the university level is limited.”

Shaumik Rahman also said, “The post of chief scientific officer is a top level post. Many of the candidates who are qualified for the post may have been working with high salaries abroad. They have to be given an appropriate environment and incentives to return them home.”

* The report has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza