Staff Reporter :
The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed for six weeks the High Court order that halted the recruitment examinations for Senior Officers, Officers and Cash Officers in the three state-run banks-Sonali Bank, Rupali Bank and Janata Bank-scheduled to be held today (January 12 in 2018).
The Chamber judge of the Appellate Division, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order considering a petition filed by Bangladesh Bank seeking a stay on the High Court order.
Md. Mosharraf Hossain Khan, Member Secretary of Bankers Selection Committee of Bangladesh Bank and also General Manager of the bank, told the journalists that there was no legal bar to take recruitment tests of those banks now and they would take the tests as per pre-scheduled time.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for the central bank in the court. The High Court on January 7 in 2018 stayed the recruitment examination for Senior Officers, Officers and Cash Officers in the three state-run banks-Sonali Bank, Rupali Bank and Janata Bank-scheduled to be held today (January 12).
In response to a writ petition, the court also stayed the process for recruitment to these posts on the basis of circulars issued by Bangladesh Bank in 2017.
The High Court also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain as to why they should not be directed to hold the examinations for the recruitments on the basis of the circulars issued in 2016 before holding the examinations for the recruitments on the basis of the circulars issued in 2017.
The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice J B M Hassan passed the order and issued the rule after hearing a writ petition filed by 28 candidates who had applied for the recruitments on the basis of the circulars in 2016.
Advocate Rashedul Haque Khokan and Advocate Tanzim Al Islam appeared for the writ petitioners.
Citing from the writ petition, Advocate Tanzim told the journalists that Bangladesh Bank had issued three separate circulars in 2016 for recruiting Senior Officers, Officers and Cash Officers in these three state-run banks.
Without holding the recruitment examinations on the basis of the 2016 circular, the central bank issued a combined circular on December 26 in 2017 for recruitments to these posts of eight state-run banks and financial institutions, including Sonali Bank, Rupali Bank and Janata Bank, which is illegal, he said, adding that his clients have not applied for the posts on the basis of 2017 circulars.
Finance Secretary, Governor of Bangladesh Bank and Chairman and Secretary of Bank Recruitment Selection Committee have been made respondents to the rule.
The exam was scheduled to be held to recruit employees for 527 posts in Sonali Bank Limited, 161 in Janata Bank Limited, 283 in Rupali Bank Limited, 39 in Bangladesh Development Bank Limited, 351 in Bangladesh Krishi Bank, 231 in Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, 70 in Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) and one post in Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation, according to official sources.
