Recruitment for 155 Posts at Jhenaidah Civil Surgeon’s Office Stalled for 7 Years

The recruitment process for 155 vacant posts under the Jhenaidah Civil Surgeon’s Office has remained stalled for years over allegations that the Ministry of Health made an improper demand. As a result, the ministry has not released the funds required to hold the recruitment examinations.

The delay has left the future of around 54,000 job seekers, who have been waiting since recruitment notices were issued between 2018 and 2025, uncertain. According to the Jhenaidah Civil Surgeon’s Office, recruitment notices for the 155 posts were issued in 2018, 2023 and, most recently, on July 31, 2025. The vacancies include three statisticians, seven office assistants, five storekeepers, 135 health assistants and five laboratory attendants.

The prolonged suspension of recruitment has seriously disrupted healthcare services at the grassroots level. To complete the recruitment process, the office sought Tk 1 crore 51 lakh 65 thousand from the office of Khulna Divisional Director of Health, Dr Sheikh Mosharraf Hossain. The amount is required to cover 12 categories of expenses, including examination paper evaluation, payments for teachers and police personnel assigned to examination duties, and stationery purchases.

Officials said numerous letters had been sent over the past seven years, including seven to eight during the tenure of the current government. Most recently, another letter seeking the necessary funds was sent on October 15, 2026, under memo number 2098. However, neither the Ministry of Health nor the Ministry of Finance has released the required funds.

Allegations have also surfaced that officials at the ministry demanded a 10 per cent bribe over the phone in exchange for releasing the allocation. Officials in the district health department have questioned who would pay such a demand. Sources concerned believe that the alleged refusal to pay the bribe is the main reason behind the delay in releasing the funds.

Khulna Divisional Director of Health Dr Sheikh Mosharraf Hossain said the Health Minister and the Director General were working on the issue and letters had also been sent to the relevant authorities. He said the reasons for the delay would be investigated. He added, “If we have to meet the ministry’s demands to secure an allocation under this government, what could be more unfortunate than that?”

Dr Mosharraf further said many health workers had retired, leaving a severe shortage of staff. “Fifteen people are now doing the work of 50,” he said. He also cited the example of neighbouring Jashore, where Tk 74 lakh was required to conduct a recruitment examination, but only Tk 47 lakh had been allocated. “The recruitment examination cannot be completed with this amount,” he added.

Jhenaidah Civil Surgeon Dr Kamruzzaman Sohel said he had sent several letters seeking funds since taking office, but the required allocation had not been received. The latest letter was sent on October 15. Jhenaidah District Council Administrator MA Majid said Law Minister Asaduzzaman had sent a demi-official (DO) letter to the concerned ministry requesting the quick release of funds. He expressed hope that the issue would be resolved soon.

Meanwhile, during a visit to Jhenaidah on Sunday, Dr SM Ziauddin Haider, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Affairs, was asked by journalists about the fund allocation. He said he would speak to the Secretaries of the Ministries of Health and Finance that day to expedite the release of funds. He stressed that the vacant posts needed to be filled as soon as possible to address the shortage of healthcare workers and improve services at the grassroots level.