Banking high-ups declared cancelled the recruitment test for eight state-owned banks amid demonstrations against mismanagement at one centre in Dhaka.
Officials said the Bankers' Selection Committee (BSC) made the decision Tuesday in an emergency meeting with the chief executives of 14 state-run banks and financial institutions at the central bank headquarters in the capital.
Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Fazle Kabir, also chairman of the BSC formed by the Ministry of Finance earlier, presided over the meeting that decided to cancel the exam, held in Dhaka last Friday with over 0.02 million jobseekers taking the test.
A probe committee, headed by Executive Director of BB Ahmed Jamal, was also formed at the meeting, GM Abul Kalam Azad, assistant spokesperson for the central bank, told reporters after the meeting was over.
Mr. Azad, also general manager of the BB, said the committee was asked to submit its report within two weeks.
Representatives from the Ministry of Finance, BB, Sonali, Janata and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank will be inducted into the probe body.
The meeting also decided to seek an explanation from the management team from Dhaka University (DU) that conducted the combined recruitment test for appointing officers to the eight public banks, according to the spokesperson.
"Next initiative will be taken after receiving both explanation from the management of DU and the probe-committee report," he said while replying to a query.
The rescinding of the exam took place in the wake of demonstrations by those candidates who couldn't sit for the test for the post of senior officer in the eight banks and financial institutions.
They staged protests Monday in different parts of the country, demanding cancellation of Friday's "controversial" recruitment test and holding the exam afresh for all the candidates instead of just some who missed it.
Earlier, the BSC, following another demonstration, had declared that the recruitment test would be held on January 20 but only for the 5,600 aspirants who could not take the test at Hazrat Shah Ali Mohila College in Mirpur due to seat shortage and mismanagement. And more than 213,000 who sat for the exam would not have to retake it.
The 100-mark MCQ test, held at 61 examination centres in the capital, Dhaka, to fill 1,663 posts, was marred by alleged mismanagement, including no seat plans, shortage of seats and use of mobile phones by examinees.
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