No BCS exam circular until finalisation of new rule

FE Team | Published: August 09, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Frustration grips civil service job seekers as there will be no fresh circular for the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination until the proposed BCS Examination Rule 2013 is formulated, reports UNB.
Officials at the Public Administration Ministry and the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) said the much-sought circular for the 35th BCS examination has been delayed because they have decided to hold the exam under the new rule.
However, it has been a tradition that BCS circulars appear in the first quarter each year.
The 34th circular was issued on February 7, 2013, while the previous one on February 29, 2012.
The Public Administration Ministry drafted the rule following a proposal sent by the PSC and sent it to the Law Ministry for vetting, said an official at the Public Administration Ministry. "The gazette notification will be issued once it is approved by the President," he added.
Asked about the delay in publishing the circular for the 35th BCS examination, PSC member Main Uddin Khandaker told UNB, "We hope we'llget the new rule soon. The next BCS exam might be held with the new rule, but the final decision in this regard will be taken at a meeting of the commission."
The delay disheartens a lot of BCS job seekers as they are on the edge of the age limit for taking part in the BCS exam.
Shawon Kumar Dey, who crossed the 30-year age-limit this February, told the news agency, "I could have appeared in the 35th BCS for the last time if the circular had been published in time."
Mizanur Rahman who received his postgraduate degree from Dhaka University's Geography and Environment department told UNB "I completed my post-graduation in 2011. I was seriously taking preparation for the 35th BCS examination. But there has been no circular over the last one and a half years."
Sraboni Shaha, who received her graduation from the department of World Religion and Culture of the Dhaka University, said, "I've taken all the preparations for the 35th BCS. But why is the government delaying the process? It's ambiguous to me. I hope there'll be a circular soon."
Eva Shahrin, a student of Eden Mohila College, told UNB that National University students are usually left with a very limited time to apply for government jobs for the huge session jam.
Delays in the issuance of BCS circular would mean most students from the National University will miss the scope to compete for the BCS jobs, she added.
According to the proposed BCS Examination Rules 2013, the BCS preliminary exam will be held for 200 marks instead of the existing 100 marks while the duration of the exam will be increased to two hours from one hour.
Besides, the minimum qualifying marks in the viva voce will be 50 instead of the existing benchmark of 40 marks. The written examination system will remain unchanged.
Under the present system, the marks of the first and second papers of all subjects are 100, while the duration is three hours. Earlier, the PSC sent a proposal to the Public Administration Ministry recommending the BCS preliminary exam be of 300 marks.