BCS Cadre Officers' Foundation Training Shortened To 4 Months

The National Training Council (NTC) on Wednesday shortened the foundation training course for BCS cadre officers from six months to four months—three months at training institutions and one month for field-level orientation and village attachment.

The decision came at the 9th meeting of the NTC, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, according to a press release from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing cited by BSS.

The meeting was attended by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Law Adviser Professor Dr. Asif Nazrul, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain, Health and Family Welfare Adviser Nurjahan Begum, Public Administration Ministry Secretary Dr. Md. Mokhles Ur Rahman, and Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan.

The council also raised the maximum age limit for enrollment in Master’s and PhD programmes from 45 to 47 years. For PhD studies, officials will be required to submit annual progress reports, certified by their supervisors, to their respective ministries, failing which their salaries will be withheld.

During the meeting, the Chief Adviser highlighted the need to evaluate all government training centres, stressing that standards and methods must be set, centres ranked, and performance monitored. He also proposed creating an independent body to assess research institutions, preserve information on government officials trained abroad, and ensure accountability.

The meeting further decided to rename the “Sanjiboni Training Programme” as “Skill Renewal Training.” Under the revised curriculum, this programme will take place at the field level in both government and non-government institutions. Deputation will also be allowed for officials who secure partial scholarships for higher studies.

To instill values of integrity, ethics, and anti-corruption, the council resolved to include subjects such as Virtue, Morality, Behavioural Science, and Code of Ethics in training modules. Additionally, research, monitoring, and evaluation activities will be introduced to review officials’ training programmes, institutions, and related decision-making.

Finally, the meeting formed the Executive Committee of the National Training Council (ECNTC), with Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed appointed as its chairman.