The government has appointed five new members to the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC), including Prof ASM Golam Hafeez, according to a notification from the Ministry of Public Administration issued on Thursday evening.
Prof Hafeez, affectionately known as Prof Kennedy, is a farm economist from Bangladesh Agricultural University who specialises in value chain management.
Renowned for his insightful commentary on commodity value chains, Prof Kennedy has dedicated his career to research and championing student rights, particularly during the 15 years of oppressive governance.
The newly appointed members of the BPSC include Dr Chowdhury Saima Ferdous, Dr M Sohel Rahman, Md Zahirul Islam, and Brig Gen (Retd) Dr Mohammad Jamal Uddin. With these additions, the total number of PSC members has increased to nine. This follows the recent appointment of a new chairman and four members after the end of the previous regime on August 5.
The PSC has been reconstituted with this new lineup, requiring a quorum of six members to conduct meetings or make decisions. The Ministry of Public Administration has expressed optimism that these appointments will enhance the commission’s decision-making capabilities.
In the aftermath of the ousting of the previous government, heads of key institutions either resigned or were removed.
On October 8, former PSC chairman Sohrab Hossain submitted his resignation, along with 12 other members of the commission.
The next day, Prof Dr Mobasser Monem was appointed as the new chairman, joined by four additional members: Dr Nurul Kadir, Dr Md Aminul Islam, Md Sujayet Ullah, and Dr Md Nazmul Amin Majumder.