A total of 3.70 lakh positions out of 19.151 lakh government jobs remain vacant, Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain said today.

The minister revealed this information during a dialogue organised by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF).

Addressing a question about women lagging behind in the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS), the minister noted that out of 84 secretaries, 11 are women.

Additionally, there are 658 senior assistant secretaries, seven female deputy commissioners, 151 female UNOs, and 88 female AC land officers.

"We are making progress in women empowerment, with women constituting 29 percent of government job holders," he stated.

Responding to a question about allegations against 351 government officials from grade-1 to grade-9 over the past ten years, Farhad Hossain said that 181 received punishment. In total, 181 officials were punished, while 170 were discharged.

Regarding concerns about not maintaining policy in promotions, he assured, "Promotions and postings are conducted following proper policies. We have a well-ordered system. It's important to consider various factors such as officers studying abroad under government scholarships, assignments in embassies abroad, and health issues of some officers. We take all these factors into account."