Govt moves to rein in easy ride to secy post

New additional secretaries who have been pressing for promotion to secretaries must work for a year before they are considered for the promotion, according to a recent decision.

The decision comes in the wake of promotions of around 450 officials to the ranks of deputy secretary, joint secretary, and additional secretary.

As the promotions were made with retrospective effect, many of the recently promoted additional secretaries, who have been in service for over 22 years, are eligible to be immediately promoted to secretaries.

However, the public administration ministry has decided not to promote them before they work as additional secretary for at least a year, officials said.

As per the current rules, the requirement is two years.

The interim government is under tremendous pressure from civil servants who are pressing for promotion because they deem themselves as "discriminated against" by the Awami League administration, ministry officials said.

Some competent officials were indeed deprived of promotions during the AL's 15-year rule, they added.

However, after the interim government took power, many took advantage of the situation and managed promotions as additional secretaries. Now, they are lobbying for promotion to secretaries, ministry sources said.

Soon after the interim government took power, some officers got multiple promotions within days.

Babul Mia, a 15th batch BCS cadre, was promoted to deputy secretary on August 13, joint secretary on August 15, and additional secretary on August 18.

Former secretary and public administration researcher AKM Abdul Awal Majumder said, "Some officers deserved promotions because they were deprived for a long time while others did not. But, when a promotion to the post of secretary is concerned, experience is crucial."

The new decision to require one-year experience is good, he  told The Daily Star.

A Cabinet Division official, requesting anonymity, said some of his senior colleagues were genuinely deprived of the post of a secretary.

He lauds the recent contractual appointment of several retired 1982 batch officers as secretaries to the ministries of education, home, and health. Those officers have a good reputation.

In the same vein, other skilled officers who were deprived should be duly recognised.

If corrupt or incompetent individuals are appointed in top posts now, the government will suffer, he warned.

A secretary, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the non-partisan government which does not want to stay in power for long, can set an example by rewarding the right individuals.

In 2001 and 2009, several officials were promoted under the BNP and Awami League governments, bypassing the standard practice .

A government official, who was recently promoted from deputy secretary to additional secretary in just a week, said, "If the government implements the new decision, those of us who were genuinely overlooked will continue to remain so. I urge the government not to enforce this restriction when it comes to the truly deserving individuals. If needed, they can take examinations."

This correspondent called the public administration ministry's Senior Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman three times, but he did not answer the phone. Neither did he reply to the texts sent to him.