Post of deputy secretary: Admin officials protest notion to promote more from other cadres
Administrative cadre officers staged a demonstration at the Secretariat yesterday, protesting a notion to reduce their promotion opportunities to the post of deputy secretary, and have more non-administrative cadre officers in the position.
Hundreds of officers marched to the public administration ministry in the morning, where a delegation met Senior Secretary Mokhles Ur Rahman, who also serves as the member secretary of the Public Administration Reform Commission, to present their demands.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Currently, the promotion ratio between administrative cadres and other cadres for the deputy secretary position is 3:1. However, the Public Administration Reform Commission recently proposed changing this ratio to 1:1, sparking dissatisfaction among administrative cadre officers.
The protesters voiced their concerns to Mokhles, warning of potential legal action if their demands were not addressed.
Mokhles assured the delegation that the commission would present reasonable recommendations to the government. He also emphasised that further discussions would be held to resolve any confusion over the matter.
Meanwhile, officials from other cadres have announced a one-hour strike across government offices today in opposition to the commission's proposal. They argue that promotions to deputy secretary should be based entirely on exams and merit, without considering what cadre an official belongs to.
"We want promotions to be solely merit-based. This government came to power through an anti-quota movement, and we don't want another movement over this issue," said Muhammad Mofijur Rahman, a leader of the "Discrimination Eradication Council" representing 25 cadres.
An additional secretary, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that a court ruling supports the 3:1 promotion ratio. The officer added that the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association, which represents deputy commissioners from all 64 districts, would sue the commission for contempt of court if it violates this precedent.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association also protested the commission's recommendations. They argued that the proposed changes would fail to create a "people-oriented, efficient, impartial, and modern administration."
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