The government is poised to introduce a unified promotion policy for permanent officers and staff at six state-owned commercial banks, according to a draft prepared by the Financial Institutions Division (FID).

Once approved and implemented, the policy will apply to employees of Sonali, Rupali, Janata, Agrani, BASIC, and Bangladesh Development Bank PLC (BDBL).

The proposed system will assess candidates for roles including senior officer, principal officer (PO), senior principal officer (SPO), assistant general manager, and deputy general manager.

Promotion evaluations will be scored out of 100, with 8 marks allocated for the viva voce.

Candidates must secure at least 4 marks in the viva and a minimum of 75 out of the remaining 92 to qualify.

A merit list will be compiled based on the total score.

Staff posted abroad may attend the interview either in person or virtually.

The draft policy sets out key criteria for promotion, focusing on job performance, academic qualifications, merit, efficiency, training, integrity, and seniority.

It states that seniority alone will not be sufficient for promotion.

Any officer whose Annual Confidential Report (ACR) shows unsatisfactory performance in any of the past three years will be disqualified.

Those facing ongoing criminal or departmental proceedings, or currently serving disciplinary penalties, will also be ineligible.

Employees penalised for minor offences will remain ineligible for one year following the end of their penalty period, while those with major penalties will have to wait two years, the draft states.

If the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) presses charges, or an officer is arrested for disciplinary violations, their promotion will be put on hold until the matter is resolved.

Should the officer be cleared without penalties, they may still be considered for promotion, depending on vacancy availability.

In a departure from current practices, the new policy introduces a points-based system for academic achievements.

A master's degree will carry 15 marks, with 4 marks awarded for a first-class degree, 3 for second-class, and 2 for third-class qualifications.

Similar distinctions will apply to bachelor's, higher secondary, and secondary levels.

Experience as a branch manager, previously worth just one mark, will now be valued at two, according to the draft policy.