'Why are we being excluded now?'

Candidates of the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS), who were excluded from appointment despite being initially listed in the gazette, have filed an application with the public administration ministry demanding their inclusion.

Four representatives of the excluded candidates submitted the application to the public administration secretary at his office yesterday. However, the ministry did not officially accept the application, said the candidates, adding that no receipt copy was given to them.

They also said the ministry's secretary did not meet them.

Earlier in the day, the excluded candidates had gathered in front of the Bangladesh Secretariat, forming a human chain to press for their demands. As of 3:30pm, they continued to insist on meeting the secretary.

 "I do not know why I was excluded. I had a different job. When the final BCS results were announced, I quit that job. Now I see that I was not appointed. I came here to know why I have been excluded and what I should do next," said Shyamal Kanti, one of the excluded candidates. 

Another excluded candidate, seeking anonymity, expressed frustration, saying, "We were all included in the first list. Why are we being excluded now? It is discriminatory. Why would the government do such discrimination?"

After the human chain, another excluded candidate told TBS that they would return to the ministry on Thursday to meet with the public administration secretary.

Revised appointments and exclusions

The government on 30 December last year appointed a total of 1,896 candidates as various cadres in the revised list of the 43rd BCS. Appointed candidates have been directed to report to their assigned offices under respective ministries by 15 January.

This revised notification, however, excluded 168 candidates who were previously recommended by the Public Service Commission (PSC).

Notably, adjustments were made to several cadre appointments in the revised list. For instance, the number of appointed candidates in the administration cadre was reduced from 293 to 267.

The earlier notification, issued on 15 October, appointed 2,064 candidates based on the PSC's recommendation, nearly ten months after the initial results were published. 

The original results of the 43rd BCS, announced on 26 December 2023, recommended 2,805 candidates for recruitment—2,163 for cadre positions and 642 for non-cadre roles.

The excluded candidates continue to demand justice, emphasising the uncertainty and challenges posed by the sudden changes to the appointment list.