In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court’s Appeals Chamber ordered the re-publication of the results for 46,199 candidates who participated in the selection exam for assistant teachers in public primary schools, this time based on merit rather than the previous quota system.
The Appeals Chamber, presided over by the Chief Justice, issued the ruling on Thursday, July 9, 2026, following the final hearing of an appeal related to the selection process.
The ruling pertains to the third phase of the assistant teacher selection exam, which was held in 2023 in the Dhaka and Chattogram divisions.
Three Key Directives in the Verdict
The court resolved the case with three main directives:
Previously appointed teachers retain their positions: The 6,531 assistant teachers who were appointed while the case was pending will retain their positions. The court upheld the validity of their appointments in the interest of fairness and to avoid any administrative disruption.
Appointment of the 151 plaintiffs: The government was ordered to appoint the 151 plaintiffs as assistant teachers in public primary schools within the next 60 days.
Publication of merit-based results: The results of the 46,199 candidates who took the 2023 recruitment exam in the Dhaka and Chattogram divisions must be re-evaluated and published again in accordance with the Supreme Court’s previous ruling on quotas; that is, merit will now be the deciding factor.
The Background of the Case
According to the 2023 recruitment notice, appointments were made at that time under the existing quota system, with approximately 84% of positions filled through this method.
Challenging this process, 151 candidates filed an appeal with the High Court. Their argument was clear: following the July ruling, the Supreme Court determined that recruitment should be based 93% on merit; therefore, the hiring of primary school teachers should also have followed this principle.
The High Court ruled in their favor, declaring the recruitment process illegal and ordering the authorities to appoint the 151 plaintiffs. The government appealed the decision, and on Thursday, the Appeals Chamber issued its final ruling.
Lawyer Tajul Islam, who represented the plaintiffs, explained to reporters that the court followed the principle of “full justice,” protecting the teachers already appointed and ensuring that candidates assessed under the old quota system received a new merit-based assessment.
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What This Means for Candidates
For thousands of job applicants who took the third-phase exam in the Dhaka and Chattogram divisions, this verdict opens new opportunities. When the merit-based results are republished, candidates who were previously not selected due to quota allocations could now be included on the list of those chosen.
It is worth noting that the revised third-phase recruitment results for the Dhaka and Chattogram divisions—covering 21 districts, excluding the three mountain districts—were originally published in April 2024.
The Primary Education Directorate is expected to announce the process and timeline for republishing the results following the court order. We will inform you as soon as it is officially announced.
Stay tuned for the latest education and recruitment news.
