State minister for public administration Md Abdul Bari has informed the Jatiya Sangsad that 93 per cent of recruitment to first and second-class government jobs is based on merit, with the remaining positions allocated under various quota categories.

Responding to a written question tabled by opposition lawmaker Md Nurul Islam, the minister said that the quota distribution followed a government gazette issued on July 23, 2024.

Under the current system, 93 per cent of posts are filled on merit, while 5 per cent are reserved for the children of freedom fighters, martyred freedom fighters and war heroines.

A further 1 per cent is allocated for ethnic minorities, and another 1 per cent for persons with disabilities and third-gender individuals, the state minister said.

In reply to another question, the minister said that during the past 16 years under the Awami League government, 12 officers in the BCS administration cadre had been compulsorily retired, 39 dismissed from service, and 564 placed on special duty.

He said that allegations of corruption and politicisation in BCS cadre recruitment during AL regime were currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission and other law enforcement agencies, and that legal action would be taken based on the findings and recommendations.

Responding to a separate question from ruling party lawmaker Harun-or-Rashid, the state minister said that reforming the recruitment process for BCS and other government jobs remained a key priority.

He said that efforts were underway to replace the existing rote-learning-based syllabus with a more skill-based assessment system.

To this end, a committee has been formed to review civil service examination systems in other countries and recommend necessary revisions to the BCS syllabus.

The state minister said that competency-based interviews would soon be introduced for viva examinations, allowing candidates to be assessed on their knowledge, skills, and attitude.

In addition, steps were being taken to streamline the recruitment process in order to complete a BCS examination cycle within a single year, he said.