Around 150 officials may get promotion

Promotions to the rank of additional secretary in the administration are expected this month. The regular candidates for promotion from joint secretary to additional secretary are from the 21st Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) batch. Some officials from different batches who were previously overlooked for promotion may also be promoted alongside them.

In addition, many joint secretaries recruited from other cadres are also being considered for promotion. The Superior Selection Board (SSB), responsible for recommending promotions, is reviewing the records and information of around 350 officials in total.

If everything goes according to plan, the promotion notification may be issued within November.

The prospects of around 150 joint secretaries currently serving in the administration may finally improve. Discussions with officials concerned at the Ministry of Public Administration suggest this possibility. However, no responsible official at the ministry agreed to speak to the media on the record about the matter.

Sources said the SSB held frequent meetings toward the end of October to finalize the list of recommendations for promotion to additional secretary. The board also held meetings on weekly holidays.

Most recently, SSB members met on October 24, which was a holiday. The board also held a meeting this week.

Initially, the SSB had tentatively decided to promote the 21st and 22nd BCS batches together. However, it later withdrew from that decision. The board subsequently decided to promote administrative officials according to their regular batch schedule. As a result, it decided against promoting one batch alongside another.

Officials concerned said 191 officers from the 21st BCS batch joined the service on May 31, 2003. Later, another 12 officials from the Economic Cadre were merged into the batch.

Of them, 184 officials have currently become eligible for promotion.

In addition, around 100 previously overlooked officials from different batches and a similar number of officials from other cadres are also being considered.

The SSB is reviewing all their career records and documents at its meetings.

A large portion of officials from this batch were promoted to joint secretary in 2022. Those who remained were promoted after August 5, 2024.

Officials become eligible for promotion to additional secretary after serving two years as joint secretary. Accordingly, officers from this batch have now fulfilled the eligibility requirements for promotion to additional secretary.

The SSB has already conducted an exhaustive analysis of all career-related information and records of officials from this batch.

During the previous Awami League government, 30 officials from this batch served as deputy commissioners (DCs). More than 15 served as private secretaries (PSs) to ministers and state ministers. They are not being considered for promotion this time.

Several SSB members who did not want their names disclosed to the media said around 150 officials could be promoted in this round if everything goes according to plan.

Among them, around 50 officials from previously overlooked batches and other cadres could receive promotions alongside the 21st BCS batch.

However, officials who served as DCs in various districts or as private secretaries to ministers during the Sheikh Hasina government are not being considered for promotion.

Officials facing ongoing departmental cases, allegations of financial irregularities and corruption, incompetence or accusations of having received the backing of the ousted Awami League government are also unlikely to be promoted.

Even officials' previous posting records are being thoroughly scrutinized during the promotion process.

Meanwhile, allegations have surfaced that several ministers and state ministers are issuing demi-official (DO) letters to facilitate promotions for officials who benefited from the Awami League government.

It has been reported that many such officials are changing their political identities and presenting themselves as nationalists. They are allegedly misleading ministers and state ministers into issuing DO letters, which they then submit to the Ministry of Public Administration.

The government, however, has warned of strict action against lobbying for promotions.

In September, the Cabinet Division instructed authorities to take departmental action against government employees who engage in unwanted lobbying over service-related matters.

It also directed that detailed information about lobbying conducted by other individuals on behalf of any employee be preserved in their dossiers, or official service records.

The directive further stated, “The conduct expected of government employees is specified in the relevant provisions of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979. Recently, it has been observed that some government employees are sending individuals or groups of people at different levels to relevant officials in various offices to lobby on different service-related matters. Such activities constitute a clear violation of Rule 20 of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979, and amount to misconduct under Rule 2(b) of the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018.”

The Cabinet Division said that if any government employee engages in unwanted lobbying on service-related matters through another individual or individuals on their behalf, departmental action must be taken against them under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules.

According to information from the Ministry of Public Administration, there are currently 212 regular positions for additional secretaries.

In addition, around 125 equivalent positions are available in various offices through deputation, meaning appointments to other offices or organizations outside designated positions.

Altogether, the number of additional secretary-level positions stands at 337.

At present, the administration has around 350 additional secretaries. Therefore, even if new promotions are granted, many officials may have to remain in situ, meaning they will continue working in their existing positions.

Most recently, on January 27 this year, 124 officials were promoted to additional secretary.

At that time, allegations surfaced those 183 officials from the 20th BCS batch, the regular batch eligible for promotion, had been deprived of promotion.

Asked about the matter, former additional secretary and administration expert Md. Firoz Mia told Agamir Somoy, “Officials eligible for promotion should be promoted on time. Otherwise, frustration, disappointment and dissatisfaction develop among them. Administrative activities are disrupted. This creates a demoralized administration. Ultimately, public services suffer.”