Will the 52nd BCS also be special? Jobseekers in doubt as PSC says no proposal has arrived

A special BCS examination may be held to increase manpower in the post of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in the police. After news of such thinking in the Home Ministry spread, fresh curiosity and doubt have arisen among jobseekers. It is being discussed that around 400 to 500 ASPs could be recruited through this examination.

However, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has said there has been no discussion within the commission so far about making the 52nd BCS a special one. No formal proposal has yet come to the commission from the government either.

As a rule, hundreds of thousands of jobseekers in the country wait every year for a general BCS for cadre posts. The 52nd BCS was earlier supposed to be a general BCS. In fact, according to the PSC's prior announcement, preparations were under way to publish a new general BCS circular within November 2026.

But after the circular for the 51st special BCS for doctors, if another special BCS is now introduced for ASP posts, the general BCS may be delayed further. This fear has increased anxiety among general cadre aspirants.

The PSC published the circular for the 50th BCS on November 26, 2025. According to the roadmap, its results may be published by November this year. Applications for the 51st BCS have only just closed, and the 52nd BCS recruitment process will take the PSC some time.

Home Ministry sources said emphasis is being placed on a special BCS for ASP recruitment in the police. There is a plan to shorten the foundation training period of officers after recruitment and post them to the field quickly. In this case, the utmost caution will be maintained in recruitment, and appointments will be finalised on the basis of complete intelligence information.

However, discussion of this special BCS is still limited to the policy level of the Home Ministry and the Ministry of Public Administration.

Asked about the current state of the matter, PSC Public Relations Officer S M Matiur Rahman said, 'There has been no discussion at the PSC on whether the 52nd BCS will be special. We have not yet received any proposal or demand letter for recruiting 400 to 500 ASPs through a 52nd special BCS.'

According to the PSC's earlier announcement, the institution is working towards completing one general BCS a year. But special BCS examinations sometimes have to be arranged to meet the government's urgent needs. Although the 51st BCS was supposed to be general, it became a special BCS for recruiting 5,000 doctors, and its application process has already ended. Against 4,700 assistant surgeon and 300 dental surgeon posts in the 51st BCS, 44,635 doctors applied.

A special BCS generally has no long written examination. The recruitment process can be completed in a very short time through only a preliminary test and a viva voce. That is why the government prioritises a special BCS when it needs urgent manpower. But if two special BCS examinations come back to back, the wait of general BCS aspirants becomes even longer.

PSC officials said a demand is placed before the commission's board meeting only when it comes from the Ministry of Public Administration. What type the 52nd BCS will be depends entirely on the government's final demand letter. Until the demand letter arrives, the commission will proceed according to the fixed schedule of the general BCS.