Recruitment and Selection Process in Bangladesh Civil Service: A Critical Overview

Abstract

With the change in global scenario, Bangladesh can not keep herself away from the wave of changes. Bureaucracy which for a long time has enjoyed absolute monopoly in various sectors now is finding itself in a tough position. Competition is increasing and with this bureaucracy is forced to redefine its role. The challenge for public administration in Bangladesh in this new millennium is to specify its role in the market and at the same time to determine its boundary, difference and interaction with the private arena. However, the challenge posed before the civil service, along with the questions raised about its competence makes the bureaucracy to take a look at itself. The necessity has arisen for the civil service to analyze whether it possesses the ability to cope with the change, to meet the demand and to consider citizens as customers. Bureaucracy needs to go through a self-analysis and probably the outcome of this will not be a pleasant one. It has been argued again and again that without a sound recruitment and selection policy, it is not possible for any organization to survive, let alone coping with a turbulent environment. In this light, this paper has attempted to analyze how effective the present recruitment of selection process of Bangladesh Civil Service is. The problems have been identified and special emphasis has been put on the attitude of the bright, meritorious students regarding the civil service. Because if the best of the new generation is not interested in joining the civil service, it may become almost impossible for the civil service to compete with the internal private sectors and external global actors.