Job seekers eliminated from 43rd BCS gazette demand recruitment by Jan 15

As many as 222 ‘deprived’ aspirants who were eliminated from the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service, or BCS have demanded a fresh gazette by Jan 5, and their appointments ensured by Jan 15.

They placed their demand at a press briefing organised under the banner of ‘Deprived Cadre Officers of 43rd BCS Gazette’ near the Central Library of Dhaka University on Thursday.

On Dec 26, 2023, the Public Service Commission recommended 2,163 candidates for 26 cadres, they said. The candidates were initially included in the gazette on Oct 15, following multiple investigations. Initially, the joining date was fixed on Nov 17, but it was rescheduled to Jan 1. However, a total of 222 candidates, including 168 mentioned in the second gazette published on Dec 30, were eliminated from the list. Under the circumstances, most of the aspirants became unemployed.

“As we have been dropped from the gazette, 222 of us, and our families who depend on us, became extremely frustrated and socially demeaned. There is no alternative to merit and quality-based civil service to establish a Bangladesh free of disparity as the July revolution aimed for. However, despite being recommended and mentioned in the gazette, we have been dropped from the re-published gazette for some unknown reason. This is against the spirit of the July revolution,” said Masuma Akter Sithi.

The protesters went to the Secretariat on Wednesday, Masuma said. “You know about the current security situation there. They allowed three of us to enter but no one met us after we went inside. We submitted a copy of our appeal but never received any letter accepting it,” she said.

None of the applicants were politically affiliated or were involved in any criminal offence, she said. “We don’t know why we were eliminated. We’re totally helpless now.”

Shah Mohammed Raihan Mia was recommended for Physics under the education cadre. “The first verification was done for us during the last government’s regime. Then, the current government conducted another verification and published the first gazette. All of us were named in it. However, we were eliminated later.”

Raihan said he had no political affiliation during his student days or afterwards and he was not named in any case or had any personal enmity or family feud with anyone.

“I don’t have any issue with anyone. It is not clear why I was eliminated from the list.”