Talking to The Daily Star, they said that the PSC is still run by members and officials who are accused of foul play and anomalies which has bogged down all of the four BCS examinations, including 27th BCS, during the immediate past BNP-Jamaat alliance government rule.

Newly appointed PSC Chairman Saadat Hussain assumed the post on May 9 after expiry of the five-year term of Prof ZN Tahmida Begum while PSC member Prof Mahfuzur Rahman who is one of the top 100 corrupt suspects declared by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), resigned in the first week of April.

Saadat Hussain yesterday told reporters that schedule for the fresh viva voce will be announced soon and preparation for the task is going on.

"All members and top officials who were allegedly appointed under political considerations during the five years of immediate past BNP-Jamaat rule will have to be replaced by honest, experienced and active academicians and bureaucrats before beginning the new viva voce of the 27th BCS. Otherwise, the 27th BCS cannot be made acceptable to all," said Prof Dr Mohammad Mohabbat Khan, a former PSC member.

With allegedly corrupt members and officers remaining in office, it is not possible for the PSC chairman alone to conduct a fair viva voce, he said.

Expressing the same view, another former member of PSC Prof Khandakar Bazlul Haq said present PSC members would have to be removed and previous records are to be considered in case of new appointment of members of all viva boards.

"Generally a PSC member heads a viva board that comprises hired members who are university professors and experts in the respective fields. How would you expect fair viva voce without reform of the viva board?" he said.

Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Karzon, an assistant professor of law department of Dhaka University, said "I congratulate the caretaker government on the decision taken to restore confidence in the public mind and establish transparency in the recruiting process for government jobs. But it will not be possible without reforming the whole PSC before holding the viva voce."

Fair BCS Movement, a platform of students, demanded cancellation of the whole 27th BCS examination.

They said huge irregularities were committed during the preliminary test and written examinations as questions leaked while a syndicate managed bringing some written examination papers from outside after the written examinations were over.

Fair BCS Movement President Abu Tareq proposed that the PSC arrange short written examination again for the 16,342 successful candidates of written examinations before holding the new viva voce so that transparency of the BCS is ensured.

Meanwhile, successful written examinees who were not selected finally welcomed the government decision but expressed fear of facing discrimination if the PSC members responsible for the previous anomalies get the chance to conduct the viva voce.

"Now I have got the chance again to prove my merit but it will be possible only if an unbiased viva board is formed through reforming the whole PSC," said a candidate who passed the written examinations but was not finally selected.

He claimed that many candidates doing well in the written examinations were not finally selected due to biased viva boards.

Meanwhile, several examinees who passed the viva voce of the 27th BCS termed the government decision 'unjust' and said they had prepared themselves to serve the nation.

"I am disappointed at the government decision. Why did the government take this decision? A short term written test like the one conducted for the election officers might be taken for all the successful candidates of the viva voce," said Aminur Rahman, who was selected for Taxation cadre.

Political background of present PSC members
Prof AKM Shahadat Hossain Mandal, former pro-vice chancellor of Rajshahi University (RU), was allegedly involved in the controversial recruitment of 545 employees at RU. In the face of public uproar about the recruitment anomalies, BNP-Jamaat alliance government appointed Prof Shahadat as a member of the PSC in June 2005.

Dr M Ashraful Islam Chowdhury, former professor of marketing department of Dhaka University, was the chairman of 27th BCS, in which questions of both preliminary and written examinations were allegedly leaked.

Prof M Anwarul Haq, former chairman of Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Barisal, has close relationship with BNP, PSC sources said.

Dr M Nurul Islam, former professor of child department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), was a top leader of BNP-backed Doctors Association of Bangladesh.

The other PSC members -- Latifur Rahman, a former additional secretary of Prime Minister's Office, M Mozammal Haq, a former joint secretary of finance ministry, M Abdur Rouf, a former chief engineer of Roads and Highways Department, Col Prof Mahmudur Rahman, a former director of NIPSOM, and Muhammad Ashraf, a former additional secretary of Relief and Rehabilitation Department -- have allegedly strong relations with the BNP.