Bangladesh
Sumona Sarkar BCS BCS Exam: Dr Sumona Sarker allowed to appear in viva voce after 19 years
Dhaka, November 20: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has directed Sumona Sarkar, who passed the preliminary and written examinations of Bangladesh Civil Service (Health) in 2001, almost two decades ago, to take the oral (viva voce) examination. The court has also asked the Public Service Commission (PSC) to implement the directive and appoint her if she passes the oral test.
An appellate bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order on Thursday (November 19).
Advocate Motahar Hossain Saju and Advocate Selina Akter Chowdhury represented Sumona Sarkar in the court. On the other hand, lawyer Shamim Khaled Ahmed was in favor of PSC.
According to the details of the case, Sumona participated in the 23rd BCS (Special) Health Cadre held at different times from 1999 to 2000 as a child of a freedom fighter. She passed preliminary and written examinations, but at that time the oral (viva) examination cards of many candidates, including Sumona, were not issued due to the complications related to the freedom fighter's certificate. That's why they couldn't take the viva test.
Then in 2001 when she went to take the oral exam, Sumona's viva exam was not taken. Then in 2003, 12 of them filed a writ petition in the High Court. Following the hearing of the writ petition, the High Court directed authorities to conduct an oral examination. Later, those 12 people were also appointed to the government service through oral examination.
In continuation of this, Dr. Sumona filed a writ petition in the High Court in 2009.
After a long hearing of the writ petition, the High Court in 2015 directed her to take an oral examination. But the PSC appealed against the stay of the High Court verdict. The Appellate Division Chamber Judge's Court stayed the High Court's verdict on October 10, 2016.
The case was then awaiting trial in the Appellate Division. Finally, with the hearing of the case, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court disposed of the application by directing the PSC to give Sumona an opportunity to conduct an oral examination. As a result, after almost two decades, Sumona Sarkar got the opportunity to sit for the oral exam in BCS.
Although Sumona Sarkar's ancestral home is in Tangail, she is currently working as an ophthalmologist at a private eye hospital in Chittagong.
Her father, freedom fighter Professor Dr. Amal Krishna Sarkar was a member of the Kaderia (Kader Siddiqui) force in Tangail.
