The new law provides for a 2-year jail term for appearing in an examination conducted by the Public Service Commission (PSC) under a false identity and a maximum 10-year jail term for leaking examination papers. Bangladesh Public Service Commission Ordinance-1977 is repealed and this new law is being made.
On Monday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain brought the 'Bangladesh Government Work Commission Bill, 2022' in the National Parliament. Later, the bill was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Administration Ministry for examination and report.
According to the bill, the commission can determine the procedures and conditions of the examination subject to the relevant laws and regulations for the purpose of recruitment of manpower of the Republic.
The proposed law prescribes various offenses and punishments related to government service examination. It is said that it will be considered an offense if a person presents himself as an examinee without being an examinee or enters the examination hall with false information or appears in the examination in the name of another person or in a fictitious name. It is punishable with imprisonment for a maximum of 2 years or with fine or with both.
The bill states, 'A person shall, before the examination is held, possess any paper or information containing any question prepared for examination, any question paper or information falsely believed to have been prepared for examination, or any question intended to be regarded as identical with the question prepared for examination. It shall be a punishable offense to leak, publish or distribute the paper or information by any means. The maximum penalty is 10 years imprisonment and fine. This offense will be cognizable and non-bailable.
According to the bill, if a person substitutes another answer sheet or part of it in place of an examination-related answer sheet or part of it, or adds an additional page containing such answer to an answer sheet which was not written by the examinee during the examination, he will be punished with imprisonment for two years and a fine.
Further, any person who supplies any written answer, book, written paper, page or any quotation from it in the examination hall or assists any candidate verbally or through any mechanical device shall be punishable with imprisonment for a maximum period of two years and fine.
Apart from question paper leak, other crimes will be punished under Mobile Court Act.
According to the bill, the Bangladesh Public Service Commission established under the Bangladesh Public Service Commission Ordinance shall remain in force as if it had been established under the new Act. The commission will consist of 1 chairman and 6 to maximum 15 members.
Dissident candidates being eliminated: Harun
BNP Member of Parliament Harunur Rashid opposed the introduction of the bill. He said, there is no alternative to hiring skilled manpower. But candidates with dissident views are being excluded in the name of police verification after being deemed fit for government job recruitment. A case has also been filed in the High Court regarding this. There is nothing in the law to remedy this. He demanded a uniform law instead of a separate law for test-related offences. He said, medical, SSC, HSC university admission test question papers are being leaked. Harun said that recently the Information Secretary was sent to retire. There have been various stories in the media about why he has been sent to compulsory retirement. To strengthen constitutional institutions, party considerations must be eliminated.
In response to Haroon's statement, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said that in the past question paper leaks were a daily occurrence. It was higher in 2001–2006. If something happens in isolation, the test is suspended. Special measures are taken.
Haroon's objection was later rejected by voice vote. The Bill is sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Administration Ministry for examination and report within 60 days.
In a statement containing the purpose and reasons of the bill, the state minister said that the cabinet meeting has decided to review the ordinances issued during the military regime and enact them in the form of laws in Bengal. Apart from this, the Public Examination (Offences) Act is currently in force to regulate offenses related to public examination. The definition of public examination in this Act does not include examination organized by PSC. Apart from this, since public examinations are not similar to PSC organized examinations, the proposed law has included offenses and punishments related to examinations held under PSC.
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