The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is unable to publish the results of recruitment tests for 915 vacant posts for third and fourth class employees.
The Dhaka Tribune learned that though the DGHS planned to publish the results as soon as possible but it has been put on hold, after being served a notice by a lawyer, accusing the directorate of irregularities with the selection process.
Sources said the DGHS plans were hampered when a flood of last-moment recommendations from various influential persons in the government sought that the directorate select candidates they recommended.
The lawyer who used to work under Dr Kamal Hossain was rumoured to have filed a writ petition with the High Court (HC) to bar the directorate from publishing the recruitment test results. Sources said the directorate had planned to publish results before the HC could issue a directive.
The legal notice states quite a few candidates who scored well in the written test were not asked to answer any of viva-voce questions, which was highly unusual.
Sources said the junior barrister filed the petition after he was approached by a candidate from Jessore who thought he might have not been recruited for “unlawful” reasons.
In the meantime, a high level official of DGHS told the Dhaka Tribune on Thursday that they might have to drop plans to publish the results within a couple of days because the directorate had to consider hundreds of recommendations at the last minute.
He said one influential minister sent a list of 48 names recently, strongly recommending all of them are recruited. He added that over 1600 people had been recommended for recruitment by various influential persons, but there were only 915 vacancies.
He said he regretted candidates had unfortunately been waiting for many months for the results, but if there was a court order in this regard, then the recruitment process might have to be put on hold.
On Wednesday Dr Md Shah Newaz, DGHS director (administration), told the Dhaka Tribune a five member central recruitment committee was scheduled to finalise a list of those who will be recruited.
However, sources said the committee might not be able to finalise a list because there was intense pressure to include recommended candidates.
On April 24, 63,200 candidates sat for the written tests held in nine districts. Out of whom, 2,745 appeared for the viva voce from July 26 to August 29.