HC orders to recruit 193 non-cadre BCS qualifiers as assistant social services officers

The High Court today directed the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) to recommend the recruitment of 193 non-cadre candidates from the 41st BCS to the post of assistant social services officer within 60 days of receiving the certified copy of the verdict.

The bench of Justice Sashanka Shekhar Sarkar and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar came up with the judgement after holding a hearing of a writ petition filed by 193 qualified but unrecommended candidates seeking necessary directives.

Barrister Mohammad Humaun Kabir Pallob, assisted by Advocate Bayezid Hossain, Advocate Naeem Sardar, Barrister Solaiman Tushar, and Advocate Lokman Hakim, appeared for the petitioners during the hearing.

Citing the petition, lawyer Humaun Kabir Pallob said the circular for the 41st BCS was published on November 27, 2019, under which 12,341 candidates qualified for its preliminary, written, and viva stages.

However, due to inadequate cadre vacancies, 9,821 qualified candidates did not receive cadre posts and were placed in the non-cadre waiting pool.

Under existing rules, PSC recommends these candidates for first- and second-class government positions based on demand from ministries.

In June 2023, the Ministry of Social Welfare requested the Ministry of Public Administration to arrange recommendations for 195 posts of assistant social services officer (10th grade) from the 41st BCS non-cadre list.

The Ministry of Public Administration then formally sought PSC's recommendation, but no action followed.

Petitioners argued that although they possessed the required academic qualifications and mandatory computer training under the Social Services Directorate Recruitment Rules 2013, (amended in 2020), PSC neither allowed them to apply nor considered them for the posts.

They further cited past instances where similar posts were filled from the 38th BCS non-cadre pool in 2022, calling PSC's inaction "discriminatory", the lawyer added.