Syllabus will be revised from the 49th BCS, says a commission member
Published : 25 Apr 2025, 04:29 AM
Public Service Commission (PSC) Mobasser Monem has highlighted a host of changes planned to resolve issues, including the existing logjam in government job recruitment through the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exams, in a year or half more.
Speaking at a press conference at PSC Conference Room on Thursday, he said “visible progress” would be seen in the coming months aimed at resolving the logjam from 44th through to 47th BCS activities.
“If the overall situation remains stable, the roadmap is to complete the 47th BCS within a year or slightly more,”the PSC chief added.
The viva voce for the 44th BCS is currently underway, for which candidates applied three years ago in 2021. The written exam date for the 46th BCS has recently been announced while results of the 45th BCS written test held in January 2024 are still pending.
The PSC has also declared that the preliminary exam for the 47th BCS will be held on Aug 8.
With these overlapping recruitment stages, BCS candidates have long demanded that the commission resolve the mounting backlog.
Highlighting plans of the newly formed commission, the chairman said: "To make the commission more candidate-friendly, the issues of BCS examination reforms are being reviewed through a workshop titled 'Stakeholders' Thoughts on BCS Examinations with the Public Service Commission'.
“Security measures have been taken in the preparation and printing of question papers."
He added, “To ensure transparency and speed in the results process, reforms have been introduced in the design and evaluation of lithocode forms used during the viva boards.
“A circular system will be launched to make the answer script evaluation more objective and transparent.”
Mobasser said a new community-based inspection system will soon be introduced at examination centres, along with biometric fingerprint verification to prevent the use of proxy candidates.
In a shift from existing practice, candidates will be allowed to select their preferred cadre before attending the viva voce.
The PSC chief said, “Currently, it takes three to three and a half years to complete a single BCS process.
“In that time, people’s preferences may change. From the 47th BCS onwards, candidates will be given the option to change their cadre choices before the viva.”
He also confirmed that BCS question papers will no longer be printed at the Bangladesh Government Press (BG Press).
“We will print the questions in a more secure facility,” he said.
Commission member Md Nazmul Amin Mojumdar said the syllabus will be updated from the 49th BCS if the 48th is designated as a special exam, adding that global civil service syllabuses are being reviewed for the reform.