The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) has launched a major reform initiative aimed at clearing long-standing recruitment backlogs and restoring public confidence in the civil service recruitment process.
Under the new reform plan, the commission has set a target to complete one Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination cycle within a year by introducing a structured “Master Calendar.” Authorities also pledged to ensure that merit remains the sole criterion in cadre recruitment, eliminating political considerations.
The announcements were made Monday at a reform report launch event titled “From Gridlock to Governance Renewal” at a hotel in Dhaka. The event was jointly organized by the BPSC and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Speaking as chief guest, Adviser to the Ministry of Public Administration Md Ismail Jabiuallah said depoliticizing the civil administration remains one of the biggest challenges.
“Over the past 15 years, partisan influences have affected public administration. Our priority is to build a civil service where officials serve the people, not any political group. Merit will be the only qualification,” he said.
State Minister for Public Administration Md Abdul Bari highlighted the scale of vacancies in government offices, noting that nearly 468,000 posts are currently vacant.
“We want to clear this backlog quickly while ensuring transparency. The BPSC reform report provides a clear pathway to achieve this,” he added.
BPSC Chairman Prof Dr Mobashwer Momen outlined the commission’s roadmap, emphasizing that prolonged waiting periods for BCS candidates would be reduced.
“We are committed to completing the entire BCS process—from preliminary examination to final recommendation—within 12 months under the Master Calendar,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of ensuring full financial and administrative autonomy for the commission to prevent executive interference and strengthen merit-based recruitment.
UNDP Bangladesh Deputy Resident Representative Sonali Dayaratne emphasized the role of technology in preventing fraud and improving transparency in recruitment.
“Digitalization is not only about speed; it must act as a shield against corruption. Through the SIPS project, we are introducing technologies designed to prevent examination fraud and irregularities,” she said.
Policy and Strategy Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Zahed Ur Rahman said restoring the image of the BPSC requires maintaining transparency at every stage.
“To rebuild public trust, every step of the recruitment process must be visible and accountable to citizens,” he said.
During the panel discussion, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed highlighted the role of universities in preparing capable graduates.
“Meritocracy begins in classrooms. Universities must produce graduates equipped with the skills required for a modern and dynamic civil service,” he said.
The reform report presented at the event included several major recommendations, including:
• Ensuring 100% merit-based recruitment, eliminating lobbying and partisan influence
• Completing recruitment stages within fixed timelines
• Introducing advanced security systems to prevent question leaks
• Enhancing transparency at every stage and incorporating candidate feedback mechanisms
The session was moderated by BPSC Member Maj Gen (retd) Md Anwarul Islam.
Participants at the event expressed optimism that effective implementation of the proposed reforms would help restore the credibility and institutional prestige of the BPSC.