Mass promotions in country history

[Al-Zakir]

Unheard of. This step must be taken to awamize the civil servant. Awami already frastruted with their performance so now they going crazy.

503 govt officials promoted at one go


Tuesday September 08 2009 10:38:10 AM BDT


Syed Shukur Ali




Finally, the establishment ministry ended the promotion complexity of 503 civil servants on Monday.Of them, 60 have been promoted to the rank of additional secretary from joint secretary, 163 to joint secretary from deputy secretary and 280 to deputy secretary from senior assistant secretary, according to the establishment ministry.(The News Today )

The promoted officials have been asked to join as officers on special duty (OSD) at the establishment ministry, the source confirmed.

Meanwhile, some senior bureaucrats were not considered for promotion by the government for their non-involvement in party politics, said a source. "We are disappointed for the promotion of 503 senior civil servants, although we are professional and experienced on the fields," said some deprived bureaucrats. They alleged that the AL policymakers made the promotion list without considering Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) and previous performance.

A source said some officials of 82 batches were deprived of the latest promotion, as they did not maintain close relationship with AL policymakers as well as ministry of establishment. The establishment ministry''s joint secretary Khurshed Alam Chowdhury said officials of ninth and tenth batches were given priority for elevation to deputy secretary from senior assistant secretary.

The list also shone spotlight on those officials of the previous batches who had also been left in the cold, he said. This is one of the biggest mass promotions in the civil service''s history in particular the first huge promotion by the present administration, as so many senior assistant secretaries made deputy secretary.

Earlier, the AL promoted a number joint secretary to additional secretary and additional secretaries to secretaries in several phases. But before Monday, it elevated only two senior assistant secretaries to deputy secretaries and two deputy secretaries to joint secretary.

Those two officials were made additional secretary and joint secretary in the space of four months.

The Superior Selection Board (SSB) made the list in August after meetings in phases with the "deprived officials" following widespread discontent.

The list was sent to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who herself oversees the crucial ministry, for approval and she took several days to scrutinise the list. She approved the list before leaving the country to join the World Climate Conference-3 in Geneva on Sept 1.

Later, the promotion list came in the light after her return from Switzerland

http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=283740

[Al-Zakir]

Promotions create indignation in bureaucrats concerned


Allegations of unfit officers promoted beyond their capacity


Wednesday September 09 2009 11:02:04 AM BDT


Promotions to the rank of additional secretary, mostly from the BCS's 82 special batch (those recruited as thana magistrates), by superseding officials of the regular batch� has sparked off indignant reactions in the bureaucracy.(The New Age BD)

Many senior officials opined that the bureaucracy would gradually weaken if less competent people got promoted and posted to important positions in the administration. �These newly promoted additional secretaries will very soon be made acting secretaries and ultimately become secretaries, holders of the highest rank in the administration�Many of them do not deserve the rank and are not capable of negotiating policy matters, nor can they represent the government in any forum,� said a joint secretary. He said efficiency, honesty and seniority should be the benchmark for promotions.

A different note was struck by another top bureaucrat. �Those who deserve promotions have got promoted to higher positions this time�This has also brought an end to deprivation,� said establishment secretary Iqbal Mahmood on Tuesday. When asked about promotions in excess of vacant positions, the secretary lamely told New Age that the government had given promotions as it was necessary.

�It is not correct that the promotions have been given in excess of vacancies�The government has promoted the officials to the higher ranks as they were needed for carrying on its activities,� Iqbal added.

The government on Monday promoted 494 officials, mostly from the administrative cadre, to the levels of deputy secretary, joint secretary and additional secretary, in excess of vacant positions which is a violation of the organogram.

All the newly-promoted officials � 271 deputy secretaries, 163 joint secretaries and 60 additional secretaries � have been made officers on special duty. Of them, 17 newly promoted joint secretaries on Tuesday were asked to remain in situ as deputy commissioners in the field.

A total number of 526 officials at various levels were deprived of promotion, according to an

official.

�Many such officials will remain in situ as there are no vacant positions in the administration�There are a good number of additional secretaries who were dumped earlier as officers on special duty as the authorities could not give them postings,� said an official. Out of 60 new additional secretaries, 44 are from the administrative cadre, mostly belonging to the �82 BCS special batch, and 16 are from other cadres of the Bangladesh Civil Service, according to the notifications.

�Around 57 joint secretaries from various batches have been deprived of promotion this time while 40 officials from the BCS �82 special batch and only four from the �82 regular batch have got promoted to the rank of additional secretary,� said a joint secretary.

There were 126 additional secretaries against 108 posts, 250 joint secretaries against 355 posts and 1,330 deputy secretaries against 830 posts, in clear violation of the organogram.

As per rules, the government should give promotions against vacant positions only, said a number of senior officials.

In mid-August, Sheikh Hasina�s government took the move to give promotions to all levels in the administration, giving priority to those officials who were �denied promotion� by the previous governments. The government has a massive reshuffle plan in view, according to official sources.

http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=283922