Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) plans to complete the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination within a year by introducing a new evaluation system, but lack of administrative and financial autonomy may stand in their way.

“The biggest challenge for the Commission is to complete a BCS within a year. However, one of the obstacles in this is the lack of administrative and financial independence of the Commission,” said BPSC Chairman Prof Mobasser Monem on Tuesday.

The BPSC Chairman said this while delivering the welcome remarks at an event titled “Transformation of BPSC: Achievements, Challenges, and Way Forward” in the capital.

The BPSC and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly arranged the event at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center (BCFCC).

Prof Monem said the Commission has introduced a new “Circular System of Paper Evaluation” to reduce delays in the examination process. “Through this system, it is possible to complete one BCS within a year. If we publish the BCS advertisement on November 1, the final result can be declared by October 31 the following year,” he said.

However, he stressed that implementing the new system requires regulatory amendments. The BPSC has already sent a proposal to the ministry, but even after four months the rule has not been approved. “If we had the authority to frame our own rules, we could work far more dynamically,” he added.

“We need administrative autonomy and financial autonomy. Without these, the Commission cannot function dynamically and cannot deliver on the aspirations of millions of youths in Bangladesh,” he said.

The BPSC Chief said that since the new Commission assumed office after the 2014 July student movement, it has tried to uphold the spirit of that uprising in its work. “Our first challenge was to restore confidence in this institution, as there was a crisis of trust in the Commission when we joined. Over the last 10 months, we have conducted at least 50 examinations, including BCS, without a single allegation of question paper leak,” he said.

Prof Monem said the Commission had been weakened since 2011. Earlier, the PSC enjoyed more constitutional autonomy, but since then it has been placed almost directly under ministerial control. “If this continues, it will never be possible to complete a BCS within one year,” he said.

With administrative and financial independence, PSC could be transformed into a more dynamic, trusted, and merit-based institution, he said.

The event showcased the reform journey of the Commission, highlighting achievements, challenges, and the way forward to build a more transparent, efficient, and merit-based public service recruitment system.

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative Stefan Liller, Deputy Head of Switzerland Embassy in Dhaka Diepak Elmer spoke on the occasion. 

PSC member Prof Chowdhury Saima Ferdous presented the keynote paper on “Transformation of BPSC: Achievements, Challenges, and Way Forward.”