Application fees for all government jobs, including BCS, and recruitment in banks and insurance companies have been capped at a maximum of Tk 200.
This decision was taken during the Secretary Committee on Administrative Development meeting on Wednesday, said Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md Mokhlesur Rahman.
The notification for the reduction of fees would be issued within a week. The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) would issue an order regarding the reduction of the application fee for BCS job seekers, he said.
In addition, it was clarified that disabled applicants for BCS will no longer have to pay any extra amount beyond the set fee, in line with other applicants.
"Earlier, the application fee for BCS in the PSC was Tk 700; they proposed Tk 350. However, today the Secretary Committee decided that it will be Tk 200. To apply for the 47th BCS at the PSC, Tk 200 will be required,” said the senior secretary.
"Another issue was that we thought this was low, but it is not low – for disabled applicants, there was a separate fee of Tk 100. It was proposed to reduce this to Tk 50. They would pay this additional amount on top of the fee (like other applicants), as a special arrangement for them. From today, this additional amount will not need to be paid. This is a flat rate: for the 47th BCS and any BCS application, the fee will be Tk 200,” he added.
Additionally, another order is being issued through the Finance Division, specifying that the application fee for jobs in banks, insurance companies, semi-government institutions, and entities referred to as extensions of the government will be capped at Tk 200.
"Currently, there are many institutions in banks and insurance companies that charge application fees ranging from Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000. For a job where only two people might get selected, perhaps 200 people apply, no one needs to pay Tk 1,000," Mokhlesur also said.
“No application fee exceeding Tk 200 will be collected for government, semi-government, or extension of the government positions. This order will be issued by the Finance Division. Now, we are waiting for the notification order on this matter,” he said.
"We will also request in a letter from the Finance Division that private institutions try to follow this directive. This request could also be communicated by the Ministry of Public Administration,” he also added.
