The High Court (HC) yesterday asked the Directorate General (DG) of Food to address within 30 days about eight lakh applications the food department received in connection to a job circular issued in 2014 against various posts.

The HC also directed the authorities concerned not to give any new appointment until they decide on the applications received over the circular issued in 2014. The HC bench comprising Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam came up with the directives after hearing on a writ petition filed jointly by 40 candidates.

Advocate Ishrat Hasan, counsel for the petitioners, told reporters that in 2014, 8 lakh applicants applied against 599 posts following a job circular issued by the food department. Without settling those application received over the circular issued in 2014, the same authority published a new job circular on November 7 in 2018 seeking applications against more than a thousand posts.

The previous applicants received no feedback over their applications, she noted.

The applicants who applied in 2014, therefore requested the authorities to grant them permission to reapply, which was rejected. Hence the aggrieved moved the HC seeking its necessary directives, the counsel added.

Following the High Court order, now the food department authority has to inform the court on whether the applicants of 2014 can take part in the examinations to be taken for the 2018 job circular, she noted.