The High Court on Thursday directed the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) to publish the merit-based results of candidates seeking non-cadre appointments under the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination within 60 days.
The HC bench of Justice Sashanka Shekhar Sarkar and Justice Urmee Rahman passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by 465 non-cadre candidates of the 43rd BCS.
Barrister Mohammad Humaun Kabir Pallob represented the petitioners.
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The writ petition was filed on January 29, 2024 challenging the legality of the PSC's recommendation of 642 candidates for non-cadre posts under the 43rd BCS.
Following a preliminary hearing, the High Court on February 5, 2024 issued a rule. The petitioners sought an order to preserve the non-cadre posts under the 43rd BCS.
On December 15 last year, the court ordered the preservation of 8,501 non-cadre posts under the 43rd BCS.
According to the writ petition, the 43rd BCS circular was published on November 30, 2020. A total of 9,841 candidates passed the written examination.
On December 14, 2023, the PSC invited online preferences from candidates willing to accept non-cadre positions. Later, on December 26, 2023, the commission recommended 2,163 candidates for various cadre posts and 642 candidates for non-cadre positions.
The petitioners alleged that the PSC did not publish a merit list for non-cadre candidates before making the recommendations, which is contrary to the Non-Cadre Recruitment (Special) Rules, 2010, as amended in 2014.
The petition stated that under the relevant rules, qualified candidates who could not be appointed to cadre posts due to a shortage of vacancies were supposed to be recommended for non-cadre positions based on merit and in phases until the publication of the final results of the next BCS examination.
Barrister Pallob argued before the court that inviting candidates' preferences and recommending appointments without publishing the full non-cadre results constituted a clear violation of the recruitment rules.
He said many successful candidates have already crossed the age limit for applying to other government jobs due to the prolonged process.
“The PSC, as the country's highest constitutional recruitment body, has undermined the confidence of thousands of meritorious job seekers through an opaque process,” he said.