The High Court today questioned the legality of a government decision that cancelled the results of the recruitment tests for the posts of family welfare visitors under the Directorate General of Family Welfare (DGFW) even after holding the relevant written and viva tests last year.

The court issued a rule asking the government to explain why the decision should not declared illegal and fixed February 13 for hearing on the rule.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah issued the rule following a petition filed by four candidates for the position, challenging legality of recruitment process cancellation.

Petitioners' lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua told The Daily Star that the DGFW issued a circular on March 10, 2020, for recruitment of 1,080 family welfare visitors.

The candidates sat for the written test under the circular and its result was published on May 11 last year.

According to the result, 7,621 candidates qualified and their oral test was held from May 25 to June 11 last year.

However, result of the viva voce is yet to be published.

Meanwhile, DGFW issued a notification on January 14 this year cancelling the results of the written test saying that irregularities took place, Barrister Jyotirmoy said.

He said the notification is illegal as it has not cited any specific reasons.

Assistant Attorney General Md Selim Azad represented the state during the hearing of the petition.