43rd BCS: Why appointment of excluded candidates remains stalled

• Ministry recommends appointing 171 of 227 excluded candidates
• 40 candidates missed the medical exam
• CA's Office has not approved the appointments after 3 months
• Ministry officials unclear on when or if approval will be granted

Three months after the Ministry of Public Administration recommended appointing 171 out of 227 excluded candidates from the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exam, their recruitment remains stalled, awaiting clearance from the Chief Adviser's Office.

According to ministry sources, the decision followed a meeting in mid-January with intelligence agency representatives to review the status of the excluded candidates. 

Following scrutiny, the ministry concluded that 171 individuals were eligible for recruitment. The remaining 56 candidates were reportedly linked to either the Chhatra League or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), while some were accused of criminal offences.

A senior official at the ministry said, "The Chhatra League has been declared a banned organisation. We cannot recommend individuals affiliated with such groups or their leadership. Iskcon, too, faces allegations of anti-state activities. As a result, we refrained from making recommendations for these candidates and instead left the decision to the government."

No decision from CA's office yet

Despite repeated reminders, the Chief Adviser's Office has yet to respond. 

Former adviser Nahid Islam, who had been responsible for reviewing the matter, stepped down on 25 February without making a decision. His successor, Mahfuz Alam, has yet to act on the issue.

On 8 January, the government formed a committee to advise on appointments, transfers, and disciplinary matters concerning senior public officials. Nahid Islam was appointed as the committee's member-secretary. Following his resignation, Mahfuz Alam assumed the role on 20 March.

An official noted that both advisers were responsible for reviewing the files due to their position on the committee. 

"Final approval of any recommendation from the ministry must come from this committee. Although a meeting chaired by the finance adviser was held on 10 April, the issue of the 43rd BCS appointments was reportedly not discussed," he said.

Another official, requesting anonymity, said adviser Nahid had earlier proposed considering a few more candidates beyond the 171, but he left office without reaching a decision. Mahfuz, too, has yet to weigh in.

Gazette, revised gazette

The Public Service Commission took the preliminary examination of the 43rd BCS in eight divisional cities of the country on 29 October 2021.

The ministry initially issued a gazette on 15 October 2023 for the 43rd BCS appointments but later cancelled it. A revised gazette issued on 30 December excluded 168 candidates. 

Combined with 99 others excluded, including 40 who did not take part in the medical exam from the October list, a total of 267 candidates were left out.

On 10 January, Senior Secretary Md Mokhlesur Rahman stated that of the 227 candidates who were re-investigated, all except those facing criminal charges would be appointed. The ministry's recommendation came after consultations with intelligence agencies – NSI and DGFI.

Frustration among candidates

With no resolution after three months, frustration among the affected candidates continues to grow. 

A candidate said, "We're exhausted from running between the ministry and the advisers' offices. Some families are falling apart. One candidate even attempted suicide before Eid. We urge the government to publish the gazette without further delay."

He added that the information adviser's office has indicated a decision will be made once the adviser returns to the country.