The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday stayed for six weeks a High Court order staying the recruitment processes of state-owned Sonali, Rupali and Janata banks for six months. In response to a government plea, the chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain stayed the High Court order paving the way for holding the recruitment tests for the three banks along with five other state-owned banks scheduled to be held on January 12 (today). Later, attorney general Mahbubey Alam told reporters that the recruitment test of eight banks would be held as per its previous schedule as the legal barrier has been removed following the chamber judge’s order.

Earlier, on January 7, the High Court Division stayed the recruitment processes of state-owned Sonali, Rupali and Janata banks for six months. In response to a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan also stayed the process for recruitment to these posts on the basis of circulars issued by Bangladesh Bank in 2017.

The court also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain why they should not be directed to hold the recruitment exam on the basis of the Bangladesh Bank circulars issued in 2016 before holding the exam on the basis of the 2017 circulars. The bench was hearing a writ petition filed by 28 candidates of those who had applied for jobs on the basis of the 2016 circulars.

On December 26 last year, a Bangladesh Bank release had announced the recruitment exam for 1663 vacant posts in eight government banks and financial institutions.

These included 527 posts in Sonali Bank, 161 in Janata Bank, 283 in Rupali Bank, 39 in Bangladesh Development Bank Limited, 351 in Bangladesh Krishi Bank, 231 in Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, 70 in Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) and one in Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation.

As per the release, the MCQ exam of 100 marks was to be held from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm at different centres in Dhaka on January 12.