PSC Chairman Mobasser Monem Resigns Months After Appointment

Professor Mobasser Monem, Chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC), has tendered his resignation from the constitutional body. He formally submitted his resignation letter to the PSC Secretariat on Tuesday, 18 August, marking another significant leadership shift within the nation’s primary civil service recruitment institution.

Confirming the development to the press, the Public Relations Officer of the commission, S.M. Matiur Rahman, stated that the Chairman personally handed over his resignation letter at the secretariat. In accordance with established constitutional and administrative procedures, the official document is being forwarded to the Office of the President for formal acceptance. However, the precise factors or underlying circumstances that prompted Professor Monem to step down prematurely remain undisclosed, as neither he nor the PSC Secretariat has issued an official statement clarifying the motives behind his decision.

This sudden resignation comes less than two years after a major structural overhaul of the commission. Following the widespread student-led mass uprising in July 2024, significant political and administrative shifts swept across Bangladesh. As part of those countrywide transition measures, the former PSC Chairman, Sohorab Hossain, along with all members of his commission, resigned en masse on 8 October 2024. To address the administrative vacuum and restore public faith in the civil service examination framework, the government appointed Professor Mobasser Monem—a highly respected senior faculty member from the Department of Public Administration at the University of Dhaka—as the new PSC Chairman on 9 October 2024.

Upon assuming office, Professor Monem faced the daunting task of reforming a system plagued by administrative delays and public scrutiny. Over the course of his tenure, he worked alongside his commission to overhaul examination protocols, eliminate long-standing session jams in the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) recruitment cycles, expedite pending viva voce evaluations, and ensure greater transparency in publishing competitive examination results. His primary vision was to transform the PSC into an efficient, modern, and merit-based constitutional institution.

This unexpected vacancy at the helm of such a critical body has sparked fresh discussions across the public administration sector and raised concerns among hundreds of thousands of job seekers waiting for upcoming examination schedules. Observers note that the sudden departure may temporarily disrupt ongoing structural reforms and selection processes. Stakeholders are now closely watching the government to see who will be appointed to lead the commission next.