27th BCS: 1,137 candidates deprived of recruitment set to get jobs

The Supreme Court has ruled that 1,137 candidates who were denied government jobs after the cancellation of their results in the 27th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exams are now set to be recruited.

This decision was announced on Thursday, February 20, following the final hearing of three appeals related to the matter. 

The verdict came from the Appellate Division’s five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refat Ahmed.

This ruling has opened the doors to government employment for these candidates, who have fought a long legal battle, some for nearly 15 years. 

They had previously been denied jobs after the government, during the state of emergency in 2007, canceled the initial oral exam results of the 27th BCS.

The controversy traces back to the military-backed government’s decision in 2007 to annul the first set of oral exam results, which had passed 3,567 candidates. 

The decision was based on allegations of irregularities and corruption. 

The government then decided to conduct a second oral exam. However, the applicants argue that the caretaker government did not have the authority to make such a decision, as the Public Service Commission’s laws did not allow for a second round of exams. 

This argument was raised by the petitioners’ lawyer, Barrister Salahuddin Dolon, during the hearing before the Appellate Division.

On January 21, 2007, under the BNP government, the results of the first oral exam were announced. 

But by June 30, the military-backed government canceled these results. 

Candidates who had passed the exam filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the annulment. On July 3, 2008, the High Court upheld the decision of the government, ruling it valid. 

However, the petitioners did not give up and filed a leave-to-appeal petition to the Appellate Division.

Meanwhile, a second oral exam was conducted on July 29, 2007, and the results were released on September 23, 2008. 3,229 candidates passed the second exam and were appointed to government positions. 

This decision caused further unrest, as those who passed the first exam but were not recruited filed three additional writ petitions. 

On November 11, 2023, the High Court declared the second oral exam invalid.

Following this, the government filed three leave-to-appeal petitions against the High Court ruling. 

The Appellate Division reviewed these petitions and made some observations before resolving the matter. 

After this, candidates who passed the first exam but were deprived of their recruitment filed review petitions, which the Appellate Division accepted on November 7.

Now, after a lengthy legal battle, the court has decided in favor of the candidates who passed the first oral exam and were left without jobs, finally paving the way for them to be recruited into government service. 

The Appellate Division set a date for the final ruling after hearing the review petitions.

This decision is a significant victory for the 1,137 candidates who have fought for their rights to government employment for over a decade and a half.