The number of candidates who have passed the 34th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) preliminary examinations now stands at 46,250 – adding a total of 34,217 more names to those announced previously, following a review of the results by the Public Service Commission (PSC).
The existing applicable quota was not applied to make up the final list.
The amended results were published Sunday while students were on strike at various educational institutes demanding cancellation of the previously results, and withdrawal of the quota system for government jobs.
PSC’s controller of examinations AYM Nesar Uddin confirmed the announcement of the fresh results.
On July 8, when the previous results were first published, only 12,033 out of 195,000 candidates had passed; the PSC took into account the applicable quotas in the preliminary stage, though the quota was applied in the second stage on previous occasions.
Since Wednesday Innumerable unsuccessful candidates started to protest because they said many meritorious candidates were dropped in favour of those who were comparatively less deserving because of the “discriminatory” quota.
Clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcers on Thursday in and around the Dhaka University (DU), with many including several journalists injured.
In face of the violent protests, the PSC decided to review the preliminary results and apply the “previously practiced system”, which does not take the quota into account.
Currently 56% of BCS cadres are picked through the quota, and 44% are recruited on merit. Of the quota, 30% is allotted for freedom fighters and their children, 10% for districts, 10% for women, 5% for indigenous groups and 1% percent for the disabled.
Two of the BCS examinees filed a writ petition with the High Court Sunday, seeking cancellation of all types of quotas for government jobs.
Meanwhile, an organisation calling itself “Shahbagh Medha Chattar” issued a press release Sunday, rejecting the amended result of the 34th BCS examination published Sunday.
The press release also gave the government one week time to cancel the result and withdraw the quota system from all government jobs.