As the recruitment tests for five and a half thousand vacant posts under the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) draws nearer, a section of government employees are getting ready to make millions in bribes.
Dhaka Tribune has learnt that these employees, with connections at the DGFP top brass and the health ministry, are assuring jobs to the candidates in exchange for large sums of bribes.
The written tests for recruiting the 5,500 vacant posts of various categories at the central and district level offices of the DGFP are scheduled to take place on June 21, 22 and 28.
The categories include 3rd and 4th class posts of Family Planning Assistant (TFPA), Family Planning Inspector (FPI), Family Welfare Assistant (FWA), Family Welfare Visitor (FWV), Sub-assistant Community Medical Officer (SACMO), stenographer, assistant nurse, female midwife, peon, and hospital maid.
A total of 233,000 candidates have applied for the vacancies.
DGFP officials said that written tests would consist of multiple-choice questions carrying 80 marks. A merit list of three candidates would be formed on the basis of the results for each post. The finalists will then have to face a 20 marks viva voce. The top scorers from the two tests would be recruited finally.
A recruitment committee has been formed with Kofiluddin Ahmed, director of purchase and supply of DGFP, as president and Dr Mahbubur Rahman, director of administration, as member secretary.
Investigations have revealed that the amount of bribes that the unscrupulous DGFP employees are charging the candidates vary with the weight of the posts: Tk800,000 – Tk900,000 for TFA, Tk500,000 – Tk600,000 for FPI, Tk300,000 – Tk350,000 for FWV and Tk200,000 – Tk250,000 for other posts, including hospital maid.
Seeking anonymity, a high-ranking DGFP official said another official of the directorate with only six months of service left, has been trying to pocket huge sums of money as bribes from the candidates before he retired.
There were allegations of corruption and bribes in 2011 as well when recruitment was done for vacancies in these posts.
More than 400,000 candidates took the written test for 6,000 vacant posts in 25 categories in 2011. There were allegations that DGFP employees took bribes to change the answer scripts to recruit unsuccessful candidates. Many candidates reportedly became frustrated after learning that they would have to pay big bribes for getting the jobs despite being successful in the recruitment test.
Similarly, this year, as the exam dates near, some candidates have been reportedly rushing to ministers, secretaries, politically connected doctors and leaders of the ruling party to get recommendations so that they can avoid paying huge amounts of bribes.
Sources said there were rumours that DGFP employees have even opened separate files for listing those who managed to secure recommendations and those who would pay bribes.
Sources also said the bribe money was being collected both at the DGFP’s Karwan Bazar office in the capital and also at the local offices all over the country.
While most DGFP officials have been busy checking and selecting thousands of applications, finalising the exam date, issuing admit cards, and preparing and sending the questions to the various centres, others have remained busy in collecting bribe, sources said.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Dr Mahbubur Rahman, member secretary of the recruitment committee, said: “There have always been allegations of bribery in the recruitment process because the number of applicants is too high compared to the number of posts. Fifty four thousand officials work under the Directorate General of Family Planning. It is not always possible to monitor all of them. It is hard to identify if any one of them demands a bribe.”
“We have not yet received any written complaint about the bribe business,” he claimed.
He also assured us that the recruitment committee has been trying its level best to make sure that the selection process is done in a fully fair manner.