The High Court today suspended the recruitment exam for Bangladesh Bank’s Assistant Director position – slated for October 28 – for a month.

The court also issued a rule questioning why a directive will not be given to exempt the maximum age limit for applicants, dated till March 25, 2022, according to the new direction of the Public Administration Ministry.

A bench of Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Kazi Ejarul Haque Akondo passed the order during a hearing on a writ petition in this regard.

The Finance Secretary, Public Administration Ministry Secretary, Bangladesh Bank Governor and the director of Bangladesh Bank human resources department have been asked to respond to the rule.

Advocate Rashedul Haque represented the petitioner’s side during the hearing.

On May 10, Bangladesh Bank issued the job circular for recruiting in Assistant Director (general) post but on September 22 the Public Administration Ministry exempted 39 months in age limit for the candidates, considering Covid-19 situation.

The ministry asked to set the maximum age limit of candidates on March 25, 2020, in the job circulars published till June 30, 2023. The age relaxation will be effective for entry into government jobs excluding BCS examination.

According to the notification, due to Covid-19, different directorates, offices and statutory, autonomous and nationalised institutions under the jurisdiction of the ministries or departments could not publish recruitment circulars for direct recruitment in various categories of government jobs (except BCS).

As a result, candidates who have reached the age of 30 on March 25, 2020, can apply for all the recruitment circulars published till next year’s June 30.

But as the job circular for Bangladesh Bank’s Assistant Director (General) post was not revised and reissued, relaxing the age limit, a deprived job seeker Mirza Rakibul Hasan applied to the Bangladesh Bank Authority and the Ministry of Public Administration.

Later on October 12, he submitted a writ petition in this regard challenging the matter.

Advocate Rashedul Haque said if the age limit is relaxed at least 25,000 to 30,000 more job aspirants who have crossed the age limit of 30 by March 25, 2020 will be able participate in the exam.