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approach over the past year to address problems including overlapping BCS examination schedules, lengthy recruitment procedures, reliance on manual systems, and capacity constraints. A coordinated roadmap was prepared to streamline examination schedules, which helped resolve multiple ongoing BCS processes at the same time and improve coordination across different stages of recruitment, he added.

The BPSC has also introduced a “One BCS, One Year” approach to ensure a predictable and time-bound recruitment cycle.

Ismail Zabiullah, prime minister’s adviser on public administration, said the report reaffirms a commitment to the countrymen that fairness, integrity, and merit would remain the foundation of public recruitment.

Md Abdul Bari, state minister for public administration, said merit would be the final determinant in government recruitments.

Policy and strategy adviser on information, broadcasting and cultural affairs Zahed Ur Rahman said the BCS exam questions should be made harder so that those unsuited to the BCS would move towards other professions earlier.

The report said the reforms were guided by four institutional values — merit, integrity, impartiality, and efficiency — and backed by the BPSC’s first five-year strategic plan for 2025–2029.

It mentioned major improvements in exam management, including reduced time for written script assessment from around a year to about three months, alongside digital improvements and automated systems to enable publishing results within around a week.

Moreover, reforms focused on ensuring fair, structured and consistent assessment include changes in question-setting procedures, stronger confidentiality protocols, refined evaluation methods, and introducing competency-based viva exams.

The commission said the introduction of online applications, automated result processing, and unique candidate IDs had improved efficiency, accuracy, and transparency at different stages of recruitment, while application fee has also been reduced to lower financial barriers and widen participation.

Development of a fully automated system in collaboration with Buet was underway, the report added.