Admin swamped with promotion

The government yesterday promoted 494 senior civil servants and asked them to join as officers on special duty (OSD) at the establishment ministry since it does not have enough number of posts for them.

These officials were mostly overlooked in the last seven years and this large-scale promotion is part of a major reshuffle plan to run the administration properly in the near future.

This instance of the largest number of civil servants being promoted since the Awami League-led government assumed power eight months ago, an expert said, it could do more harm than good.

Of the total, 60 joint secretaries have been promoted to the position of additional secretaries, 163 deputy secretaries to joint secretaries and 271 senior assistant secretaries to deputy secretaries, said separate gazette notifications of the establishment ministry.

With the promotions, the number of additional secretaries stood at 186 against a total of 108 posts while the number of joint secretaries reached 498 against 430 posts. The number of deputy secretaries was already more than the government had posts for, 1,317 against 855. At least 271 senior assistant secretaries were made deputy secretaries yesterday.

The promoted officials have been asked to join as officers on special duty (OSD) at the establishment ministry.

The Superior Selection Board (SSB) had earlier finalised names of the officers to be promoted and sent a list to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for approval.

Sources in the Bangladesh Secretariat, the administrative hub, said the number of OSDs would shoot up, as the government would find it very difficult to give the promoted officers posts.

Many fear that this high number of promotions may not have any positive impact on the administration. They said more sluggishness would grip the administration.

Expressing surprise at the high number of promotions, former cabinet secretary and adviser to a caretaker government Dr Akbar Ali Khan apprehended that discipline in the civil administration might collapse after this.

"It will not only cause economic loss but also the total discipline of the top civil service will collapse," said Akbar, now chairman of the Regulatory Reforms Commission.

He said there would be competition among the promoted officials to get better posts and the officials would then end up getting involved in politics.

The entire administration would be politicised, said Akbar, a former official of civil service of Pakistan.

Sources in the establishment ministry said the merit list was not properly used while deputy commissioners appointed by the last caretaker government were not considered for promotions, which will cause commotion.

They also said the entire administration would be overburdened by this mass promotion as a large number of promoted officers would have to wait a long time to get an office.

The sources also said officials of ninth and 10th batches were given priority for elevation to deputy secretary from senior assistant secretary.

Earlier, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam told the parliament yesterday morning that 81 government officials, including 10 secretaries, are OSDs.