Officials of 25 cadres in a seminar today called on the government to stop the practice of issuing promotions for civil servants when there is no vacant posts.

They argued that while officials in certain cadres receive such promotions, others in different cadres are deprived, which is unacceptable.

Additionally, they have urged the government to ensure the promotion of deputy secretaries without any quota restrictions.

The issues were stated at a seminar titled 'Expected Civil Service for Fulfilling Public Aspirations', organised by the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Committee at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) auditorium in the capital, Khamarbarhi, today.

The seminar focused on discussions about how to build a people-oriented state through civil service reforms, according to a press release signed by Omar Faruk Dewan, coordinator of the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Committee.

The seminar discussed the necessary reforms in civil service to achieve a welfare state.

The release also mentioned that when officers from all other cadres collectively raise complaints about discrimination and the deprivation, the government must realise the severity of the situation.

Speakers at the event said it is unreasonable for officials of one cadre to receive promotions despite the absence of vacant posts, while officials from another cadre who have available vacancies do not get promoted.

They argued that such practices cannot be part of a modern administrative system and reflect artificial complexities and colonial attitudes created by the administration cadre.

The officials called on the current interim government to address and rectify these irregularities.

The seminar was attended by author and columnist Firoz Ahmed, Professor Nasrin Begum, agricultural expert Ahmed Ali Chowdhury Iqbal, retired Senior District Judge Dr Shahjahan Saju, Chief Coordinator of Ganasanghati Andolon Junaid Saki, General Secretary of the SCBA Constitution Preservation Committee Syed Mamun Mahbub, Professor Tuhin Wadud from Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Associate Professor Kazi Mahbubur Rahman from the Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka, and student of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka, Sadequr Rahman Sani.