Bangladesh Civil Service Research Articles

Quota System and Bangladesh Civil Service: In Nation Building Perspective

The existing provision of job reservation, quota system, in Bangladesh Civil Service recruitment doesn't comply with the constitutional principles, but the recruitment system that reserves 56% job for five categories – freedom fighters, women, district, tribal and disabled – is being consistently upheld. The quota was introduced in 1972 in favour of backward section of citizens for the purpose of securing their adequate representation in the service, though backward section of citizens is not defined and no time frame was suggested for phasing out. However, with the passage of time, the provision has created a new discrimination in civil bureaucracy and has hindered, if not spoiled, the nation building process. The paper principally aims at disseminating the overall scenario of quota-dominated entry level recruitment in civil service and its consequences in the nation building process. The paper suggests for complete abolish the discriminatory quota provision, which has been backfiring for many years, or reform its distribution for securing nation building.

Merit-based recruitment: the key to effective public administration in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) is like the nucleus of country’s overall development. Brilliant graduates wish to join BCS and contribute to the prosperity of the nation. However, it is not that easy to join BCS for all meritorious graduates. Due to quota or preserved post in greater part of BCS, they are denied from the service of the nation. However, Bangladesh needs an effective public administration to turn up her long-term vision to be a middle-income country by 2021. Nonetheless, for an effective and dynamic public administration, recruitment of talented, hard working and committed personnel are essential. In this perspective, the study intends to evaluate the present recruitment system of BCS, analyzes its problems, and tries to find out the possible solution. In addition, it tries to know the idea and observation of present and future civil servants regarding present recruitment system and overall BCS. It collects primary data from the respondents before analyzing and providing some policy recommendations. It also compares and contrasts, why BCS needs merit not quota. Finally, the study proposes a model for Merit-based Recruitment in BCS with some assumptions.

Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Examination: A Critical Review

An efficient civil service is the sine qua non for effective implementation of public policies and delivery of public services. This study analyses Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination system, pinpoints problems and provides some recommendations for having a sound recruitment system in Bangladesh. In fact, BCS job is the most prestigious job in Bangladesh. The findings of the study demonstrate that BCS examination system in Bangladesh lengthy, quota-dominated and politically patronised. Graduates of Bangladesh are, thus, becoming increasingly frustrated. Predominance of quota policy is also a hindrance against merit system. This paper intends to help policymakers to apprehend the nagging problems of BCS examination in Bangladesh and the recommendations will help to have a merit based and transparent examination system for recruiting competent and meritorious personnel in the service.

Rethinking of Curriculum for the Senior Staff Course of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre: An Empirical Analysis

One of the mandates of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) is to develop human capital of senior level civil servants of Bangladesh. This study has identified the development needs of the Joint Secretaries of Bangladesh Civil Service in order to facilitate knowledge and skills through Senior Staff Course (SSC) organized by BPATC. This study has used quantitative research approach. Data were collected from different levels of respondents that include officers of the rank of Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary and Secretary. The results have yielded seven thematic areas, in respect of knowledge and skills where Joint Secretaries are required to develop and with these seven thematic areas course contents need to be developed to achieve present and future priorities of the Government of Bangladesh.

Women in Bangladesh Civil Service: Stumbling Blocks towards the Way of Participation

Bangladesh is considered as a developing country, half of the total population comprises women. Their socioeconomic condition is poor. The position of women in the family is very complex regarding different aspects like tradition, security, and equality of men-women, social dignity and for multifaceted stress. Here participation of men and women social development activities is not equal. Many activities of women are not counted as productive work. Consequently, socioeconomic development cannot be achieved in the real sense without the strong participation of women at the decision making activities in society. According to practice of our society, Women are leg behind culturally, socially and economically. All kinds of conveniences and chances are needed to be delivered to ensure active participation of women in all spheres of life. The government is the largest employer in Bangladesh. Therefore, women’s inclusion in different cadre service is very noteworthy and needs superior attention from for the appointment of women in Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS). The Government of Bangladesh (GOB) has already taken some policy measures to ensure justifiable participation of women in the civil service arena. A quota system was introduced by GOB to increase participation of women in the government service sector. Yet the presentation of women in government services has not got a reasonable level. Hence, detecting the stumbling blocks of women's participation in the BCS and take necessary steps to remove the stumbling blocks is the main purpose of my research. An effort has been made in this paper to evaluate the prevalent employment status of women in BCS cadres with a focus on the stumbling blocks faced by the women civil servants which discourage participate them in the BCS.

Market access challenges and opportunities for Bangladesh pharmaceutical products under TRIPS

Pradip Royhan is in the Bangladesh Civil Service, currently on study leave pursuing doctoral studies at Macquarie Law School, Sydney. Developing countries have been motivated by concern that higher levels of intellectual property protection under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) would involve a substantial commitment of insufficient government resources, producing a significant net outflow of royalties to foreign rights holders and increasing domestic prices. Now those countries are more concerned about strong patent protection as they believe that this would be harmful for their emerging pharmaceutical industries and for access to affordable medicines. Bangladesh has been taken as a case study as its pharmaceutical industry is now meeting around 97 per cent of total domestic demand, but it must still ensure TRIPS compliance within the extended period ending on 1 January 2016 if it is not to face negative consequences regarding patent protection and access to affordable medicine. Its compliance does not depend only upon the consequential negotiations but mostly upon Bangladesh domestic regulations and the role of the regulatory agencies responsible for enacting adequate regulations. Based on a qualitative methodology, this article examines the patentability exceptions regarding environmental requirements under TRIPS that might have depressing consequences on Bangladesh pharmaceutical products' market access as a least developed country (LDC). It also explores the market access challenges of Bangladesh's pharmaceutical sectors as a whole by examining the domestic regulations of Bangladesh as well as specific international rules. This research argues for reform of domestic regulations and an accelerated negotiation for further reform in the international rules.

State of Bangladesh Civil Service Management (2009–2012)

The Awami League (AL)-led Grand Alliance came to power with a ‘Charter for Change’ in 2009 in order to ensure good governance in Bangladesh. From 2009 to 2012, the government has taken various steps to make the civil service efficient and capable. This article strives to explore what the AL government has done to manage the civil service during 2009–12. The article analyses newspaper articles on the AL government’s actions on recruitment, promotion, and transfer. It also analyses the role of the media in exposing the state of the civil service management by conducting structured interviews of purposively sampled respondents. The article shows that the AL-led government has manoeuvred the civil service through partisan decisions on recruitment, promotion and transfer, which have left the civil service management in disarray.

How to bring about change in the Bangladesh civil service? Attempts to change mindsets, behaviours and practice

AbstractThis article addresses three critical questions central to many donor funded programmes which seek to enable pro‐poor reform and growth. In the context of Bangladesh, the research asks first, does the civil service has a role in promoting change of this kind? Second, can a senior civil service development programme succeed in creating reform minded civil servants? And, third, if so how might the contribution be made both more substantive and of value? These questions are addressed systematically through a literature review and evidence drawn from Managing at the Top (MATT 2)—a DFID funded programme. Some tentative conclusions are drawn in the final section. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Human Resource Management in Bangladesh Civil Service: Constraints and Contradictions

This paper deals with the organization and management of human resource functions within the Government of Bangladesh. More specifically, it examines and analyzes the current limitations of and future challenges to human resource management in Bangladesh civil service. It demonstrates that despite a few attempts made at reforming and modernizing the civil service during past decades, traditional policies and practices continue to dominate its internal management. The current approach suffers from a multitude of anomalies and deficiencies including the lack of human resource planning, inappropriate staffing policy, discriminatory system of promotion, erratic postings and transfers, absence of any objective performance appraisal system and irrational reward structure. These deficiencies combined with bureaucratic corruption and increasing incidence of politicization adversely affect the quality and performance of civil service. They also pose a great challenge for the future in that they stifle the flowering of merit, professionalism and integrity in the public service.

Staffing the higher civil services in Bangladesh: An analysis of recruitment and selection processes

AbstractIn developing a recruitment and selection policy for the Bangladesh Civil Service there has been significant disagreement over whether this should be based exclusively on merit or whether merit should be modified in the interests of equity.The government has, in practice, required that the policy should recognize the principle of equity and various interests have been given a privileged status in recruitment. At the same time the administration of the recruitment process has been conducted in a way that has undermined confidence in it. The authors describe the policy differences and problems of administration concluding with ideas on desirable reforms.