DHAKA, Nov 16, 2024 (BSS) – Primary and Mass Education Adviser Professor Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder today underscored the need for developing local tools and methods adopting native cultural context for conducting psychometric tests in the recruitment process.

“Bangladesh is yet to develop any tools for conducting psychometric tests and thus, we have to run the tests with foreign tools ... but the variation in cultural contexts has significant impacts on psychometric tests while interpreting the results,” he said.

Bidhan Ranjan was addressing as chief guest at a session of Second International Conference on  psychometric at the auditorium of Dhaka University's Teacher-Student Centre here in the capital.

Bidhan said, “Though we have been at a pioneering position in terms of growing population, there are no local tools to conduct IQ tests. Psychological tests have very little impact in interpreting results in the job recruitment process”.

“If we can develop our own test tools or methods, it will be more acceptable and easier to apply,” he added.

Pointing out the importance of psychometric tests and drawbacks of its practice in the country, Bidhan said, “Though we have psychiatrists in different job recruitments and other interview processes, their role and impact on decision making comparatively very minimal.”      

Pro Vice-Chancellor of International University of Business and Agriculture Dr Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman said many unexpected incidents including rising teen-gangs and drugs are happening due to psychological issues.

“We are talking about reforms in many sectors,” he said, adding, “We also need to think about bringing reforms on how we can have a healthy, normal life”.

Professor Ahmed Bashir of DU English Department, Assistant Professor of Psychology department of Chittagong University Dr Shahinur Rahman, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University’s medicine departments’ Professor Dr Mohammad Tanvir Islam and DU IER Professor  Ahsan Habib also addressed on the occasion, among others.