Four BUET Friends Prepare for BCS Together, All Recommended for Administration Cadre

Four friends from the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) prepared for the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination while living in the same apartment. They shared study materials, identified one another’s weaknesses and worked towards their goal through mutual support. Their efforts paid off when all four were recommended for the administration cadre in the 45th BCS examination.

The four friends are Mostafizur Rahman, Md Rokon Irfan, Hasib Ahmed and Nayan Chandra Shil. They secured 30th, 64th, 73rd and 98th positions on the merit list, respectively.

After graduating from BUET, the four friends began preparing for the BCS examination in June 2022. They lived together in a flat on Elephant Road in Dhaka, preparing through regular study sessions, model tests and discussions. They helped one another whenever someone struggled with a particular subject.

They said sharing knowledge and supporting one another played an important role in achieving their desired results. The Daily Campus spoke to the four friends about their preparation, success and advice for aspiring BCS candidates.

Mostafizur Rahman

Mostafizur Rahman secured 30th position on the merit list for the administration cadre in the 45th BCS. After graduating from BUET’s Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, he began preparing for the BCS examination. He considers the recommendation of all four friends for the administration cadre a special achievement in his life.

Recalling his preparation, Mostafizur said he initially felt discouraged by the vast syllabus but later focused on strategic study and regular revision. He placed greater importance on studying consistently every day than on spending long hours at a stretch.

According to him, it is difficult to remember every subject equally well. Candidates should therefore identify the areas in which they can secure comparatively good marks with less difficulty and plan their preparation accordingly.

Mostafizur also used Facebook as a study resource. He followed various pages and groups dedicated to BCS and job preparation to gather relevant information. He said patience, consistent study, identifying personal weaknesses and following a strategic preparation plan were essential for success. He also advised candidates not to make the BCS their sole career goal and to maintain alternative career plans.

Mostafizur’s father was a headteacher at a government primary school and died in September 2022. His mother is a teacher at a government primary school, while his younger sister is a first-year student at the University of Rajshahi.

Explaining why he placed the administration cadre first in his preferences, Mostafizur cited the diversity of responsibilities, the opportunity to serve people directly and the prospect of staying close to his family. He hopes to serve the public with honesty and dedication as a newly recommended officer.

Hasib Ahmed

Hasib Ahmed secured 73rd position on the merit list for the administration cadre in the 45th BCS. He is from Mikshimil village in Dumuria upazila of Khulna district. His parents are Abdul Aziz Sardar and Salma Begum.

Describing his feelings about the achievement, Hasib said the 45th BCS was his first job examination. He considers being recommended for appointment as an assistant commissioner in the administration cadre in his first attempt a blessing from Almighty Allah. He said he was extremely happy with the result.

Hasib said the four friends began preparing for the BCS together in June 2022 after graduating from BUET. Preparing together made their studies comparatively easier. They regularly shared what they had learned and explained topics to one another whenever someone struggled with a subject.

He said their willingness to stand by one another and the supportive environment they created played an important role in their BCS journey. Their collective efforts and regular preparation helped them achieve their goal.

Nayan Chandra Shil

Nayan Chandra Shil secured 98th position on the merit list for the administration cadre in the 45th BCS. He has been recommended for appointment as an assistant commissioner and executive magistrate.

Nayan said that after graduating from BUET’s Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, he and four friends began living together in a flat on Elephant Road in Dhaka. They faced an uncertain future but shared the ambition of fulfilling their dreams. His first BCS examination, the 45th, marked the beginning of a new struggle.

He said the four friends maintained a balance between mutual support and healthy competition. Their individual achievements inspired one another to keep moving forward. Another friend of theirs left for the United States to pursue a PhD, while the remaining four continued preparing for the BCS.

When the results were published, they learned that all four had secured positions among the top 100 candidates recommended for the administration cadre.

Reflecting on their shared journey, Nayan said, “The feeling of sharing the joy of success with the friends with whom I dreamed under the same roof, shared my anxieties and strengthened my preparation was truly unparalleled.”

He added that the achievement was made possible by the sacrifices and love of his parents, the support of his brother and family, guidance from teachers and mentors, and the goodwill of countless people. Above all, he believes the achievement would not have been possible without God’s blessings.

Nayan has a long-standing friendship with Md Rokon Irfan. They studied at the same college before entering the same department at BUET. They attended classes and laboratory sessions together for four years and lived together during their university days.

After graduation, they joined the Prime Minister’s Office together and worked there for around two and a half years. They are now awaiting postings in the same division of the administration cadre.

For Nayan, securing a place in the administration cadre is not merely the fulfilment of a dream but also a new commitment to serving people. Advising students, he said they should dream big, work hard, use friendship as a source of strength and draw inspiration from the success of others.

Md Rokon Irfan

Md Rokon Irfan secured 64th position on the merit list for the administration cadre in the 45th BCS. He studied in BUET’s Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and considers the three friends who lived with him during his preparation important companions in his journey towards success.

Rokon said he was grateful to Almighty Allah for giving him the opportunity to join the BCS administration cadre. He believes the decision to live in the same flat with his three classmates after university brought positive changes to his life. Living together allowed them to support one another in their studies and other aspects of life.

He said he initially had limited knowledge about the BCS examination. His friends helped him understand the different cadres and how to arrange his preferences.

Before the preliminary examination of the 45th BCS, Rokon received his first job offer from UCB Bank. He was uncertain about whether to join the bank.

At that point, his friends advised him that since they had just begun preparing for the BCS, taking up the job might leave his preparation incomplete. Mostafizur Rahman, in particular, advised him not to join a job before sitting for at least one BCS written examination.

Following their advice, Rokon decided not to join the bank and instead focused entirely on his preparation. Having ultimately achieved his desired result, he expressed gratitude for the support and guidance of his friends.

45th BCS final gazette published after 322 days

The government published the final gazette for the 45th BCS on Wednesday (October 14), after a wait of 322 days. A total of 105 candidates were excluded from the list.

The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) published the circular for the 45th BCS on November 30, 2022, against 2,309 vacant posts.

Due to the prolonged examination backlog, the preliminary, written and viva voce stages took until November 24, 2024, to conclude. On November 6 last year, the BPSC published the results, provisionally recommending 1,807 candidates for cadre positions. Of those candidates, the government published the gazette for 1,702 on Wednesday.