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The government has appointed 77 more successful candidates of the 27th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination to various cadre services, bringing an end to nearly two decades of legal battles over their recruitment.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued a gazette notification on Sunday (July 5) following a recommendation from the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC).
This follows two earlier phases of appointments made in compliance with court orders. On December 18 last year, the ministry appointed 673 deprived candidates, followed by another 96 on May 13 this year.
According to the notification, the newly appointed officers must join their respective cadre-controlling ministries or departments by July 14. Unless instructed otherwise by the relevant authorities, they are required to report for duty on that date. Failure to join within the stipulated time will be considered a refusal of the appointment, and the appointment will be cancelled.
The notification also states that, to preserve their seniority, the appointments will take retrospective effect from the date of the first appointment notification issued for the original 27th BCS batch. As a result, the officers will retain notional seniority alongside their batchmates. However, they will not be entitled to any arrears of salary, allowances or other financial benefits for the intervening period.
The recruitment process for the 27th BCS has been one of the longest and most complex legal disputes in Bangladesh’s administrative history.
The controversy began on January 21, 2007, when the results of the first viva voce examination were published under the then government, with 3,567 candidates declared successful.
On June 30, 2007, during the state of emergency, the caretaker government cancelled the results of the first viva examination over allegations of irregularities and corruption. The successful candidates challenged the decision in the High Court, but on July 3, 2008, the court upheld the government’s decision.
Meanwhile, a second round of viva examinations was held on July 29, 2007. The results, published on September 23, 2008, declared 3,229 candidates successful, and they were subsequently appointed to government service, leaving those who had passed the first viva deprived of appointment.
The deprived candidates then resumed their legal battle. On November 11, 2023, a High Court bench declared the second viva examination illegal. Although the state appealed the verdict, the Appellate Division disposed of the appeal with certain observations.
The successful candidates from the first viva later sought a review of the Appellate Division’s judgment. On February 20 last year, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court allowed the review petition, paving the way for the appointment of 1,137 candidates who had been denied jobs under the 27th BCS.
On August 11 last year, the Appellate Division published its full judgment directing the government to implement the verdict without delay. As part of that process, another 77 candidates have now received the opportunity to join the Bangladesh Civil Service.