PSC yet to reinstate Farida as ASP despite HC order

After giving the final approval, the PSC cancelled nomination of Farida Yasmin as ASP on the grounds that the candidate did not choose the police cadre in her application form.

"But the fact is that there was no vacant position in the police cadre when the advertisement of the 20th BCS was published first," said the candidate, adding that the commission included positions for police cadre after 42 days through a fresh advertisement.

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"My only mistake was that I had written name of the post under co-operatives cadre in form no. 1 though I correctly put the code number against the police cadre in both forms," said Farida Yasmin. "And court also in its verdict termed it an unintentional mistake," she added.

PSC Controller Sk Mohammad Alauddin said on Saturday that a recent meeting of the commission chaired by the chairman decided to reinstate the candidate as per the court direction. He said the candidate has not yet been notified about the decision.

On the same day, however, when the candidate phoned the PSC controller about the fate of her job and the commission's decision, Alauddin told her that there had been no fresh decision.

PSC Chairman ZN Tahmida Begum could not be reached for comment.

On October 30, 2000, the PSC published results in different national dailies of finally nominated candidates for different cadres. Farida was provisionally selected for appointment as ASP. But, a letter of the PSC, dated December 15 the same year, cancelled her selection, saying that she did not mention her preference for the police cadre in her application form no. 1 though the preference was mentioned in form no. 2.

Farida filed a writ petition with the High Court against the commission decision and the court on November 6, 2001 ruled the cancellation order illegal.

The High Court also said there was no mention of vacancy against the police cadre in the first advertisement and as such the petitioner had no scope to indicate her preference for the police cadre.

Later, the PSC went to the Supreme Court against the High Court order but the Appellate Division rejected both leave to appeal and review petition in January, 2003 and April this year, respectively, upholding the High Court order.