Shamim’s Exclusion Despite Ranking First in Foreign Cadre Not Political: State Minister

State Minister for Public Administration Md. Abdul Bari has stated that the exclusion of Dr. Shamim Shahriar from the final gazette of the 44th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination is not a political decision.

He made the remark on Monday (13 April) at the launch of the report titled “Renewal of Governance from Gridlock: BPSC Reform” in Sonargaon, Dhaka.

The minister said, “Shamim’s exclusion is not political. There is a procedure that must be followed. In the past, many CSP officers in Pakistan were jailed but still got jobs. Such cases also exist in our country.”

Dr. Shamim Shahriar topped the Foreign Affairs Cadre in the 44th BCS. The Public Service Commission (PSC) recommended 1,676 candidates, but the final gazette published on 5 February included only 1,490 names. As a result, Dr. Shamim and 186 other candidates were dropped, sparking widespread criticism.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Public Administration Md. Ismail Jabibullah also addressed the issue. He said in the past, candidates were often screened through “so-called political verification,” including DNA tests to check family political affiliations.

He assured, “Police verification is part of the recruitment process to check criminal records. But it will not be used for political purposes anymore. We want to move forward.”