Streamlining BCS recruitment process

Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) has introduced several reforms regarding the participation process of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination. These include raising the maximum age limit for candidates from 30 to 32 years, reducing the viva exam marks from 200 to 100, and lowering the exam fees from 700 to 200. After increasing the age limit to 32 in response to widespread demonstrations, the PSC initially proposed limiting individual candidates to a maximum of four attempts. The revised rules, however, do not impose any such restriction. This means candidates aged between 21 and 32 years can sit for BCS exams as many times as they wish. However, much will depend on the duration of candidates' graduation and the efficiency with which examinations and recruitment processes are completed within a specified timeframe.
Currently, as bizarre as it may sound, the PSC takes no less than four to five years to complete the recruitment process for a single BCS examination. To put this into perspective, in many countries, a government's tenure lasts only four years, and students can complete their graduation within the same timeframe. But in Bangladesh, the examination and recruitment process for a single batch of BCS candidates, supposed to be an annual affair, does not end even in four years. Such delays in government job recruitment are unparalleled anywhere in the world.
Take the example of the 41st BCS. The notification for this BCS was published on 27 November 2019. And the final recruitment gazette for the successful candidates was published by the Ministry of Public Administration on 21 March 2024-more than four years later. This extended timeline could very well set a world record for the longest public recruitment process. The subsequent 42nd and 43rd BCS exams also took roughly the same amount of time to complete.
It has been observed that the delay usually occurs due to lengthy process for publishing exam results, especially that of written test. Typically, after the notification for a BCS preliminary and written exam, it takes about six months for the PSC to conduct the preliminary exam and release results. The written exams then take around 18 months, followed by another six months for the viva voce and final results. The entire process culminates in the publication of a gazette notification, which can take about another year. This prolonged timeline contributes to the delays, leaving candidates in a state of uncertainty and frustration.
One explanation offered by the PSC for the delays is that two examiners review each candidate's papers. If their assessments differ by more than 20 marks, a third examiner must be called in to resolve the discrepancy.
While this procedure may be required for a meticulous scrutiny, it cannot justify such lengthy delays. Many ask, if the results of secondary and higher secondary exams, involving several lakh students, can be published within three months, why does it take over a year to evaluate the written exam papers of just 10-15 thousand BCS candidates?
The new PSC chairman and members must go beyond implementing superficial reforms and take decisive action to end the procrastination in BCS recruitment process that leaves candidates in the lurch for years. Many countries in the world including neighbouring India induct a new batch into its civil services every year by conducting the recruiting process in a timely manner.
Experts suggest that the PSC should set a specific timeframe, such as one month for examiners to complete their assessments of written test papers. They think those who fail to meet the deadline should be removed from the evaluation process. Additionally, retired professors could be recruited to expedite evaluation process. Raising the remuneration for examiners may also help speed up the process and ensure timely completion.
Another disheartening aspect in the whole affairs is that even after successfully completing the BCS preliminary exam, written exams, and viva, and securing the PSC's recommendation for recruitment, there is no guarantee that a candidate will ultimately land their dream job. In many cases, police verification is misused as a tool to deny the coveted civil service position to individuals allegedly associated with opposition parties. Even if a successful candidate is found to be a relative of an opposition party leader or activists at local level, their job prospects are at stake.
The police verification was introduced during the British era to check candidates' criminal records, but it has never been politicised so blatantly. Denying a job to someone who has passed the final exam based on their alleged connections to opposition party leaders or supporters is both illegal and inhumane.
The skewed policy of denying jobs and promotion to supposed opposition supporters and favouring candidates from the ruling party has not only severely undermined meritocracy and but also eroded the integrity of public administration. Such practices contribute to a system where political loyalty triumphs over professional competence, resulting in a weakened and ineffective bureaucracy. To restore credibility and effectiveness, it is imperative that the interim government takes decisive action to streamline the civil service recruitment process by ensuring greater transparency, establishing clear timelines, and making the process more efficient, so that merit, not political allegiance, becomes the main criteria of recruitment and promotion in the civil service.

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