Candidates excluded from the previous gazette of the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) have demanded a fresh gazette by January 5 to facilitate their joining by January 15.

The demand was made at a press conference held on Thursday at 12:30 PM in front of Dhaka University's Central Library.

They expressed their frustration at the press conference organised under the banner of "Gazetted Officer Candidates Excluded from the 43rd BCS,".

The candidates said on December 26, 2023, the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) recommended 2,163 candidates for 26 cadres.

Following investigations, these candidates were gazetted on October 15, with a joining date initially set for November 17, which was later deferred to January 1.

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However, they said  222 candidates, including 168 listed in a second gazette issued on December 30, were ultimately excluded.

Many of these excluded candidates have since become unemployed, they said.

In a written statement, Masuma Akter Sithi, one of the excluded candidates, said, "The exclusion of 222 candidates and their families from the gazette has left them socially marginalized, deeply disappointed, and confused. Achieving an egalitarian Bangladesh through the July Revolution requires a merit-based civil service. Despite being recommended and gazetted earlier, our exclusion from the reissued gazette is unjust and contradicts the principles of the July Revolution."

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Masuma recounted their protest at the Secretariat, saying, "Yesterday, we went to the Secretariat amid strict security measures. Three representatives from our group were allowed inside, but no one met with us. While we submitted a petition, we have yet to receive any response."

"We have no political affiliations or criminal records. Despite this, we were excluded without explanation, leaving us feeling utterly helpless," she said.

Shah Mohammad Raihan Mia, another excluded candidate recommended for the Education Cadre shared his frustration saying, "Our initial verification occurred under the previous government, and our first gazette included all of us after re-verification under the current government. Yet, we were later excluded without any clear reason."