47th BCS written exam to be held as scheduled
The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) has announced that the written examination for the 47th BCS will begin on 27 November 2025 as scheduled. The decision comes amid ongoing demonstrations by candidates demanding that the exam be postponed.
A section of job seekers has been protesting for nearly a month, calling for the written exam to be rescheduled to a “reasonable time.” After staging protests and sit-ins in front of the PSC, their movement has spread to several parts of the country.
On Saturday and Sunday (22 and 23 November), students of two universities in Rajshahi and Mymensingh blocked railway lines demanding the exam be postponed, halting train operations for several hours. Protesters have also warned of going on hunger strike if the exam date is not changed.
In response, the PSC stated that the written exam date had been announced long ago. The roadmap for the 47th BCS was already published, preparations for holding the examination are complete, and postponement is no longer possible.
In a notice issued yesterday (Sunday, 23 November 2025), the PSC said, “The written examination of the 47th BCS is scheduled to begin on 27 November. The Commission has observed that some candidates are staging protests, submitting petitions to various individuals and social or political organisations, running campaigns on social media, and even engaging in organised activities such as hunger strikes and sit-ins.”
“Representatives of the protestors have met Commission officials several times, organised gatherings, and at times besieged the Commission office. They have been informed that the advertisement for the 47th BCS was published in November 2024, and candidates submitted their applications in December–January. Applicants sat for the preliminary exam on 19 September 2025, and based on the results, 10,644 candidates were selected for the written exam.”
The notice further stated that the PSC had already announced on 3 June that the written exam would begin on 27 November. Candidates have been aware of the exam date for nearly six months. Therefore, the claim that candidates were given only two months to prepare is entirely incorrect.
The PSC also noted that it is aware of demands from many candidates who want the examination to be held on time. According to the Commission, BCS preparation is a long-term process, closely tied to a candidate’s academic background and study habits.
Preparation for the BCS exam cannot be limited to the few months before the test. Once the application is submitted, candidates are expected to be ready according to the schedule fixed by the Commission. Procrastination or unwillingness to take the exam does not align with the discipline expected of a genuine candidate for government service.
The Commission said clearing the backlog of examinations has been one of its priorities. Conducting exams and publishing results promptly is a key goal of the current PSC leadership. A roadmap for various BCS exams was introduced and published earlier this year in May–June, and the examinations as well as the results have since been conducted accordingly.
Over the past six months, two special BCS exams (48th and 49th) have been held, along with several non-cadre recruitment exams and result announcements.
Postponing any exam would disrupt the PSC’s declared roadmap and hinder its administrative plans. For obvious reasons, the Commission is opposed to postponing the exam and believes its position is justified and timely, the notice added.
In this context, the PSC urged all candidates of the 47th BCS to appear for the written exam from 27 November 2025 as scheduled.