Professor Mobasher Monem, chairman of Bangladesh’s Public Service Commission (PSC), has resigned from his post, adding a fresh development to the leadership of the country’s key public recruitment body.
Monem submitted his resignation letter to the PSC secretariat on Tuesday, 18 August, according to SM Matiur Rahman, the commission’s public relations officer. He said the resignation letter was being taken to the President’s Office for the next stage of the formal process.
No official explanation has so far been given for Monem’s decision to step down. The circumstances surrounding his resignation therefore remain unclear, and no specific reason has been attributed to him by the commission.
The PSC plays a central role in Bangladesh’s public administration, conducting competitive examinations and recommending candidates for recruitment to a wide range of government positions. Its chairman therefore occupies a significant position in overseeing the commission’s examination and recruitment activities.
Monem, a professor in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Dhaka, was appointed PSC chairman on 9 October 2024. His appointment came immediately after a major change in the commission’s leadership following the July uprising and the subsequent political transition.
On 8 October 2024, the then PSC chairman, Professor Md Sohorab Hossain, resigned along with the other members of the commission. The following day, Monem was appointed to lead the commission.
His tenure came at a time when the PSC was facing considerable attention over public-sector recruitment, particularly the administration of competitive examinations and the long-running expectations of jobseekers. The commission’s handling of examinations has remained a matter of significant public interest because thousands of candidates depend on its recruitment process for entry into government service.
The latest resignation now leaves another leadership transition ahead for the commission. The formal handling of Monem’s resignation and the appointment of his successor will determine how the PSC’s leadership structure develops in the coming period.
For the moment, however, the reason behind his decision remains undisclosed. Until an official explanation is issued by the authorities or the former chairman himself, speculation about the circumstances of the resignation cannot be treated as confirmed information.
The development is also likely to draw attention from government jobseekers, particularly those awaiting recruitment examinations and decisions from the commission. The immediate focus will be on the next steps following the submission of the resignation letter and how the PSC’s regular activities will be managed during the leadership transition.
