The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has reinstated a High Court verdict that deemed unlawful the cancellation of the first viva voce results of the 27th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations, directing the government to appoint 1,137 qualified candidates to the service.
A full bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, delivered the ruling today after hearing three separate review petitions filed by the candidates, challenging the court’s earlier decision that had overturned the High Court’s judgment.
The ruling allows the 1,137 successful candidates to assume their positions with seniority within 90 days, confirmed appellants' lawyers Md Salahuddin Dolon and Mohammad Shishir Manir.
The controversy dates back to 1 September 2007, during the tenure of the caretaker government, when the Public Service Commission (PSC) annulled the viva voce results, citing allegations of widespread irregularities, including question leaks and corruption. The cancellation affected 3,567 candidates who had successfully passed the oral examination.
Subsequently, on 3 July 2008, the High Court declared the cancellation unlawful. However, the case saw prolonged legal proceedings until today's ruling by the Supreme Court, which now conclusively upholds the rights of the affected candidates to their appointments.