July Uprising Museum appoints manpower without written tests

The July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum, established to commemorate the memories of those killed and injured in the 2024 uprising, is going to recruit 90 manpower, ranging from the grades 6 to 12, without any written and practical examinations.

Highlights: TBS

As a result, widespread criticisms over the transparency and neutrality of the recruitment process have sparked, with critics saying that the move will violate established recruitment rules.  

The museum authorities, however, claim the process follows regulations and has received approval from the president to speed up recruitment.

According to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, on 28 January, the museum published a recruitment notice seeking online applications for the 96 positions. 

The application continued until 4 February, and more than ten thousand of candidates applied based on their educational qualifications, sources said. 

The recruitment rules, outlined in the July Uprising Memorial Museum Ordinance 2025, mandate written examinations for all posts.

Candidates are required to sit tests covering Bengali, English, mathematics, general knowledge, or relevant technical subjects.
Only those who pass written and practical examinations are eligible for viva voces.

However, the regulations also allow authorities to relax recruitment conditions for individuals with special qualifications, considering the institution's specialised nature.

Authorities cite special provisions, urgency to defend process

Contacted over Whatsapp, Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki in a message suggested speaking to the director general of the museum on the matter.

Museum Director General (additional charge) Tanzim Wahab defended the viva voce as the only recruitment process, claiming that it fully complies with recruitment rules and regulations.

"Sub-clause 3 of Section 3 allows the relaxation of recruitment conditions for candidates with special qualifications. The President approved the recruitment process to help the specialised museum begin operations quickly," he told The Business Standard.

He said viva voces are being used to directly assess candidates' administrative skills, communication abilities, presence of mind and ability to handle real-life situations.

Critics warn of rule violations, legal risks in appointments

However, critics say bypassing written examinations for first-class and revenue-funded posts is a violation of standard administrative practice and raises concerns about merit-based selection and legal risks.

"Appointing candidates to first-class posts solely through viva voces, despite job rules requiring written tests, is unacceptable, even if justified on the grounds of the institution's 'special' status," Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman told this newspaper.

He said such government actions reflect opacity, authoritarian tendencies and a lack of accountability, stressing that the institution in question is of national importance and that all activities, including manpower recruitment, must strictly follow existing rules.

"If the rules are bypassed at the very beginning, it will set a bad precedent," he warned.

Iftekharuzzaman also said that while there is widespread desire to see the institution begin operations quickly, speed cannot justify violating recruitment regulations in an organisation funded by public money.

"The government may claim a legacy by launching it swiftly but that would be a negative legacy," he said.

A senior official from the Ministry of Public Administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, criticised the approach, saying skipping written examinations for revenue-funded positions is against administrative norms and could make appointments legally contestable.

"Written tests are mandatory for revenue posts. Replacing them with viva voces for the first-class positions is unusual and raises concerns about fairness and transparency," the official said.