Those Who Are Taking the BCS Examination

Never say or think that you won’t make it to BCS.

Why?

For two reasons.

One. The Creator is great. He might just grant your prayer. He stays so busy, you know! So many people make so many requests to Him, give Him such pain!

Two. Always remember, like attracts like. This is called the Law of Attraction. (Those interested should read Rhonda Byrne’s “The Secret”—it will be very helpful.) Don’t you see? Those who get more likes on Facebook keep getting them. Those who get more comments keep getting them. You write something worthwhile and nobody pays attention, yet when they post a single dot, hundreds of likes pour in. Have you ever noticed how, when some beauty’s darling foreign puppy has toilet troubles, it becomes a source of anguish for hundreds of boys? Whose heart doesn’t ache for the beautiful lady’s canine, I mean, dog’s pain? I’ve seen many big shots become shamelessly inspired by certain special “motivations.” The interaction between your thoughts and actions works the same way. Let me give you an example. Suppose you’re walking down the street and suddenly need to use the restroom. There’s no toilet nearby. If you hold it in, your pants might get wet and cause embarrassment. To escape the impending flood, you sneak into a corner of the street where no one can see and relieve your bladder pressure, while mentally reciting all the prayers and supplications you know and don’t know, hoping not to run into anyone familiar, constantly looking around to see if anyone has spotted you! Suddenly, you’ll see one of your students appear from somewhere saying, “Assalamu alaikum, Sir. How are you?” It won’t occur to him, or even if it does, he won’t apply common sense to realize this isn’t the time for pleasantries. Just think about it! What’s his fault? You were the one looking around searching for someone just like him. Of course, some people are like senseless cockroaches that come flying from nowhere without any reason and land in your food plate. I’m urinating at the airport urinal, and immediately the fellow urinator beside me will cheerfully say, “Assalamu alaikum Sushanta bhai. How are you? I’m your fan…” How do I explain that this isn’t a place for socializing, that I’m currently engaged in the world’s most important work! I’ve encountered one or two who extended their hands for a handshake right in that situation. The discomfort and disgust with which I shook hands—just thinking about it makes me queasy!

Whether using the bathroom (small or big) or being on any other mission, you must work with complete focus. If you bring unwanted thoughts to mind, you’ll see that by painstakingly bringing them to mind and carefully nurturing them, you’re not just getting discouraged. Ten other thoughts come and “dramatically” change the direction of your work. Negative thoughts and their vibes always have more brothers around.

It always seems
impossible until it’s done.

This statement by Mandela has always seemed true to me. When I took the BCS preliminary exam, I thought passing the prelims was the hardest thing in the world. That’s why I had a certain reverence and sincerity toward it. However, it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t make it through prelims. I only knew that I had to pass prelims to sit for the written exam. A task being difficult isn’t my fault. I didn’t make the task difficult. My fault would be: why do I want to do this task? The world isn’t lacking in good work to be done. Since I want to do this particular task, I have to figure out how to do it properly. If I can’t figure out the method, that would indeed be my fault.

No BCS cadre can put their hand on their heart and say that during preparation, becoming a BCS cadre seemed as easy as rice and lentils to them. However, it’s certain that most of them didn’t think they wouldn’t make it. The difference between those who become cadres and those who can’t lies in two places. One: they were able to utilize what they knew. Two: “luck favored” them. The second factor is not in your hands. That has to be left to the Creator. Qualification alone doesn’t achieve everything. To have the last laugh, you must humbly keep your mouth shut and wait patiently—not seriously, but sincerely—for the Creator’s grace. The game is always ON! Think about it honestly—many of your past successes were much more due to your fortune than your qualification. At least that’s how it’s been for me. Don’t dwell too much on past dishonors. Even if they weren’t your due. Think about it—you’ve received many undeserved honors in your life that weren’t your due at all. I haven’t heard anyone lamenting, “This necklace doesn’t suit me—/ It hurts to wear, it breaks when torn.” The Creator always works in a kind of mysterious balance.

Good luck!

Let me tell you something. These are my own words. I’ve written what I did. Don’t take any of my words as set rules. You’re not like me; you’re like yourself. No one in the world can do the same task by doing exactly what someone else did. You’ll pass prelims in your own way.

I often face this question: Brother, which guides did you read for BCS prelims?

I cleverly avoid this question.

Why?

If I tell the truth, some will think I’m showing off, some will think I’m exaggerating because I came first, some will think I’m displaying my erudition.

Here are the complete sets of guides I solved before prelims:

MP3

Assurance

Oracle

Millers

Professors

Saifurs

Panjeri

Genuine

Why these? Because no other guides were available, or I couldn’t find them in any bookstore in Chittagong.

Besides these:

3 digests

2 question banks

4 model test guides

Apart from the above books, I solved various books on different subjects. For instance, for English, I solved “English for the Competitive Exams” and another book (probably called “Light”).

For those thinking it’s impossible to study so much, I’m telling you—it’s possible if you have no other work to earn your bread. I didn’t, so I could do it.

Nobody loved me kindly, so there was no romance. I had resigned from the responsibility of educating people’s children, so there was no tutoring. Having incurred incredible losses, I had withdrawn myself from all kinds of business, so there was no other work either. Thus I had the opportunity to study extensively. What else should an unemployed son of a middle-class family do but study? At that time, everything except studying seemed like luxury. I went nowhere, didn’t talk much with anyone. I lived a completely book-centered, robotic life. I used my phone very limitedly, even bid farewell to Facebook for those few months! For a Facebook freak like me, what a great sacrifice this was—I can’t express it in writing! Hahahaha…

Besides, I never found anyone worth talking to about BCS (before the BCS exam, I only dared to speak with 3 BCS cadres. One of them showed some “attitude” in conversation, so I never spoke with him again. I can’t tolerate such pretentiousness. Later I realized that you need to study to get a job, you don’t need to chat randomly with BCS cadres. Those who get jobs aren’t from Mars; they’re very ordinary creatures from this planet). BCS seemed very difficult to me, and I thought if I studied very well, perhaps I’d get a job somewhere at the bottom of the merit list in my second choice, BCS Police. I studied like a ghost. I was a very ordinary candidate, so I had to work very hard to get the job. But it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t get the job. I thought I’d surely get it, but would have to work very hard for it. And I did—I got the job through inhuman effort. I can say with complete honesty that I never deceived myself during that time.

After the results came out, I realized I didn’t need to study so much. I never wanted to come first; I only wanted a job. Coming first was an achievement beyond my qualifications. I understood BCS less, so I studied more like a fool. Sometimes I think, ignorance is bliss! In the BCS exam, the more learned you are, the more foolish you become. Knowing too much is dangerous in this exam! Just study foolishly and get the job—that’s all you need!

I’ve been studying English lovingly since childhood. Any work you do out of love will never tire you, even if you do it 18 hours a day. At one point, I was so confident about English that I could forgive everyone in the world, but if I met someone who knew English better than me, I could never forgive myself. Even if I put the maximum possible pressure on myself, I don’t remember ever getting tired while studying English. I solved thousands of English questions that appeared in various job or university admission exams. I solved each question by checking various grammar forums on the internet, dictionaries, usage books, various international standard grammar books (I have at least three hundred language books in my collection) to make sure of the answer. Being extremely meticulous about studies, I never trusted guide book answers. Because from reading numerous guides, I realized that guide writers’ knowledge isn’t very extensive. For me, one question meant four questions. Besides the correct answer, I would thoroughly study the other three options as well.

While studying English, I wrote down questions from various job exams in two notebooks. What kind of questions did I write down? The kind I thought should be read during revision. The effort required for this work is something only a completely obsessed type of examinee would do. Sometimes I felt like my body was getting numb from sitting in the chair. But I wouldn’t leave the chair until I finished studying. You can’t develop your mind without giving your body some hardship.

I suddenly found one of those notebooks at home the other day. I brought it with me when I came to my workplace in Satkhira. Today, after returning home from office, I spent nearly an hour standing and flipping through the notebook pages, enduring head, neck, back, and waist pain while taking pictures with my Samsung mobile camera to upload for you all. If it helps anyone, I’ll be pleased.

By the way, if someone could look at these notebook page pictures and type out the questions to send me in a Word file, I would save it as notes with proper gratitude mentioning your name. That note will be useful to many people in the future.

If you could patiently do this work once, these questions should never be forgotten. I know many will probably do this work for themselves. If you do, please send me a copy.

If I find the other English notebook, I’ll upload that too. (My student Dhrubo did this work after I posted this writing. I’ve kept it in my notes under the BCS English series.)

Happy reading!!

(Read it, share it with everyone.)