Over 4.68 lakh govt jobs vacant
A total of 468,220 posts remain vacant across various ministries and government offices in Bangladesh, State Minister for Public Administration Abdul Bari informed Parliament on Thursday, highlighting the scale of manpower shortages in the public sector.
The disclosure came during a question-and-answer session in the House, chaired by Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal, in response to a query from BNP lawmaker Sarwar Jamal Nizam.
According to the minister, based on updated data as of December 31, 2023, the vacancies include 68,884 posts in Class I (grades 1–9), 129,166 in Class II (grades 10–12), 146,799 in grades 13–16, and 115,235 in grades 17–20,
along with 8,136 positions in other categories.
He said the government has formulated short-, medium-, and long-term recruitment plans spanning six months, one year, and five years to gradually fill the vacant positions.
Under the Ministry of Public Administration, recruitment for 2,879 posts is expected within six months, 4,459 posts within one year, and 3,110 posts within five years, he added.
The minister also noted that letters have been sent to various ministries seeking updated information on vacancies as part of a broader plan to recruit around 500,000 employees “with transparency and speed.”
In response to supplementary questions, Abdul Bari said that during the past 16 years, 12 BCS cadre officials were sent into forced retirement, 39 were dismissed, and 564 were made officers on special duty (OSD).
He further said allegations of corruption and politicisation in recruitment during the previous Awami League government are currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other agencies, with legal action to follow based on findings.
Emphasising merit-based governance, the state minister said recruitment, transfer, and promotion in both civil and military administration will be guided strictly by merit, integrity, experience, and efficiency.
He also said that 93 percent of Class I and II government recruitment is currently based on merit, while quotas include 5 percent for freedom fighters and their families, 1 percent for ethnic minorities, and 1 percent for persons with disabilities and the third gender.
