The government has decided to grant retrospective promotions to 764 retired officials who were deprived during the Awami League regime, with the condition that they will not be reinstated into service and make future claims for reinstatement.
Under this arrangement, the government will disburse Tk21 crore in arrear salaries to them in a staggered manner to uphold austerity in government spending, according to the Cabinet Division.
The Cabinet Division has instructed the Ministry of Public Administration and the Finance Division to take necessary steps to implement the decision.
On 26 December 2024, a letter signed by Muhammad Nazmul Haque, deputy secretary of the Cabinet Division, instructed relevant ministries or divisions to be informed of the decision if necessary, as per Rule 23(3) of the Rules of Business, 1996.
It also directed that a progress report on the implementation of the decision be sent to the Cabinet Division’s monitoring sub-division within 15 days of the decision and on the 4th of each month until the implementation is complete.
Funds will be allocated in phases for their pending gratuity and pensions under the same conditions.
The decision follows recommendations made during a meeting of the Advisory Council, chaired by interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on 24 December.
According to the Finance Division, implementing the retrospective promotions will require an estimated Tk42 crore as a one-time allocation for arrears, gratuity, and pensions. Also, Tk4 crore annually will be needed to cover increased pension expenses.
The initiative stems from a committee formed on 16 September to review applications from retired officials who faced discrimination during their service under the Awami League government between 2009 and 4 August 2024.
Led by former finance secretary and World Bank alternate executive director Zakir Ahmed Khan, the committee submitted its report to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on 10 December.
The decision was approved by the Advisory Council, which directed the Public Administration and Finance Division to act in coordination with the Cabinet Division.
Breakdown of recommendations
The committee reviewed 1,540 applications, including 19 submitted by families of deceased officials.
Of the recommendations – 119 officials to secretary; 41 to Grade-1 (secretary status); 528 as additional secretary; 72 as joint secretary; and four as deputy secretary.
The committee recommended granting retrospective promotions based on the officials’ retirement status.
Among the 764 individuals, nine were recommended for a four-step promotion, 34 for three steps, 126 for two steps, and 595 for a single-step promotion.
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