Dept of Social Services under strain over recruitment
The Department of Social Services is facing immense pressure to organize a massive recruitment examination after receiving over 2.123 million applications for just 1,485 posts.
Consequently, there is an average competition of approximately 1,430 candidates for each position.
The department has sought assistance from the Ministry of Public Administration to determine the format and number of stages for conducting the exam for such a vast number of applicants.
Reportedly, the Department of Social Services issued a recruitment notice last May for permanent and temporary positions across 52 categories, ranging from Grade 13 to Grade 20.
Online applications were accepted from June 2 to June 23, with application fees ranging from Tk 50 to Tk 100 depending on the post.
However, even three months after the application process concluded, it has not yet been possible to announce an exam date.
Mohammad Abu Yusuf, Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare, informed reporters that permission has been sought from the Ministry of Public Administration to determine a suitable method for expediting the recruitment process.
Officials from the department, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that they lack prior experience in organising a recruitment exam on such a large scale.
There are significant logistical and financial challenges at every stage-including selecting exam centers for the massive number of candidates, printing question papers, appointing invigilators, and evaluating answer scripts.
Discussions are also underway with the ministry regarding how to conduct practical exams (where required) and oral examinations alongside the written tests.
Shah Mohammad Mahbub, the Director General of the department, told reporters that preparations are being made to complete the recruitment quickly while ensuring transparency. However, the ministry’s assistance is required to determine how to organize the exam given the sheer volume of applicants.
The number of applicants for this recruitment drive exceeds that of any of the last five general BCS examinations. For the most recent BCS exam, 290,000 candidates applied for 2,150 posts. Applications received for the BCS examinations stood at 312,000 for the 49th, 374,000 for the 47th, 337,000 for the 46th, and 346,000 for the 45th.
The number of applicants for the current recruitment drive by the Department of Social Services has surpassed the total number of students who appeared for the 2026 SSC and equivalent examinations-approximately 1.857 million students.
Among the 1,485 vacancies, the highest number of openings-478-is for the position of Office Assistant, for which the required educational qualification is an SSC pass.
Additionally, 312 Social Workers will be recruited at the union level; their responsibilities will include selecting and verifying beneficiaries for various social safety net programs, such as allowances for the elderly, widows, and persons with disabilities.
Economists believe that the massive volume of applications for government jobs reflects the employment crisis in the private sector.
Dr. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Research Director at the CPD, stated that due to stagnant growth in the private sector, a large segment of the youth is gravitating toward government jobs in search of competitive salaries, job security, and social status.
Had investment and employment increased in the corporate sector, such excessive pressure on government jobs would not have arisen.
When asked about this, Md. Rafiqul Islam, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Social Welfare, told The New Nation that the Honorable Minister has clearly stated that the evaluation of answer scripts and the preparation of results will be conducted impartially by BUET to ensure that qualified and meritorious candidates secure the jobs.
