No retirement in next 2yrs

The government is working to overcome the crisis over promoting public servants after extending their service age by two years, a top civil administration official said yesterday.
No civil officials and employees will retire in the next two years, a reality that will apparently block the way for those awaiting promotion.
The president on Monday promulgated an ordinance increasing the retirement age of public officials to 59.
The number of civil servants is nearly 12 lakh and every year on average about 40,000 of them go into retirement. The government now faces a tough challenge accommodating a large number of officials and employees in the administration, sources in the administration have said.
There had been a move to promote a large number of officials ahead of the completion of the government's three years in office. But it was stalled following the service age extension.
The government has to come up with a plan before offering promotions as no post is vacant and any promotion will only add to the list of 300 officers-on-special duty (OSD) in the administration.
“There will be no retirement in two years, but it doesn't mean there will be no promotion over the period. We will not be rigid in this regard; we will find ways to continue the process,” Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told The Daily Star at his office.
He said the government had already taken some measures which are yet to be finalised.
Promotion would be given to employees' to improve their motivation, Mosharraf said. “But at the same time, we should consider how government benefits from it.”
About extending the service age, he said, “It was long overdue.”
The government took the decision in a bid to best use the expertise of the officials, he said. "An official doesn't get enough time to serve after becoming a secretary. He or she retires within six months to one year and we don't get their service.”
Mosharraf also said a top officer does not necessarily have to do a lot of physical work. What really count are his or her wisdom and experience.
According to civil administration sources, Finance Minister AMA Muhith played a key role in extending the service age for which the past three governments -- caretaker, BNP-Jamaat and Awami League -- worked but could not make a decision.
“The finance minister wanted to use the experiences of the officials. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also supported the idea so that the experienced officials can guide the government to the right direction,” a senior bureaucrat said, on condition of anonymity.