77 more candidates from 27th BCS get appointment after 19 years

The government has appointed 77 more candidates from the 27th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination, following nearly two decades of legal battles. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification on Sunday, July 5, based on the recommendations of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC).

Earlier, following court orders, the ministry issued notifications appointing 673 candidates on December 18 last year and 96 candidates on May 13 this year. With the latest batch, a total of 846 candidates have been appointed in three phases.

According to the notification, the newly appointed 77 candidates have been asked to join their respective cadre-controlling ministries or departments by July 14. If no further instructions are received from the cadre-controlling ministry, they must join on that date. Failure to join by the specified date will be considered as non-acceptance of the appointment, and their appointment letters will be cancelled.

The notification stated that the appointment order will be effective retroactively from the date of the original appointment notification of the 27th BCS to protect the seniority of the appointees. However, they will not receive any arrears or financial benefits for this long period.

The 27th BCS recruitment process is one of the longest and most complex chapters in Bangladesh's administrative and legal history. The saga began on January 21, 2007, when the results of the first viva voce of the 27th BCS were published, with 3,567 candidates passing.

Later, on June 30 of that year, the then caretaker government cancelled the first viva voce results, citing irregularities and corruption. The successful candidates filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the decision. However, on July 3, 2008, the High Court ruled in favour of the government.

Meanwhile, a second viva voce of the 27th BCS was held on July 29, 2007. The results published on September 23, 2008, declared 3,229 candidates successful, and they were appointed. This effectively excluded the candidates who had passed the first viva voce.

The excluded candidates then launched a new legal battle. After a long hearing, on November 11, 2023, a High Court bench declared the second viva voce of the 27th BCS invalid. The state appealed against the ruling, and the Appellate Division disposed of the matter with some observations.

Later, the candidates who had passed the first viva voce filed a review petition. On February 20 last year, the Appellate Division granted the review petition and delivered a final verdict, paving the way for 1,137 candidates to reclaim their jobs. On August 11 last year, the Appellate Division published the full verdict, directing its swift implementation. As a result, 77 more candidates have now received the final opportunity to join the cadre service.