The interim government is struggling to streamline the civil administration apparently due to the tentativeness of the top level officers and hindrances in promoting mid-raking officers who endured deprivation during the 15-year autocratic rule of the now ousted Awami League.
The lack of coordination among the interim government policymakers exposed through the current chaotic situation over the appointment of deputy commissioners is also sending wrong signals to the country’s bureaucratic enclave Secretariat, said officials at different ministries.
Besides, expectations are running high that the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus will fix everything quickly although it has assumed power just over a month ago after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina had resigned and fled to India on August 5 in the face of a mass uprising.
Ali Imam Majumder, an adviser to the present interim government, while talking to New Age on Wednesday, mentioned that the interim government, assuming power on September 8, was only one month old.
‘Everything will be all right very soon,’ he remarked.
Officials said that the interim government promoted 131 joint secretaries, many of whom faced discriminations in promotion during the immediate past political regime, to the posts of additional secretaries.
But many of these newly promoted additional secretaries are facing administrative hurdles to get further promotion soon following a requirement tag making at least one year’s experience as additional secretary compulsory for securing promotion to higher posts.
Seven secretary posts, meanwhile, remain vacant at different ministries and institutions—civil aviation and tourism ministry; shipping ministry; parliament secretariat; financial institutions division; Bangladesh Investment Development Authority; Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council; and a member post at the planning commission.
An additional secretary, seeking anonymity, said that the provision of one year’s experience as additional secretary for promotion to higher position obstructed the way for many eligible officers as many of them remained deprived for years during the past regime.
The official added that at least two years’ of experience as joint secretary should be considered for the promotion to the post of secretary since job responsibilities of the joint secretary and additional secretary were almost the same.
Officials said that the interim government was facing more difficult challenges from the current top level officers as they were tentative and kept themselves largely limited within routine activities.
Recurring incidents inside and outside the Secretariat for realising demands also give unexpected signals to the top level bureaucrats, said retired secretary Abu Alam Md Shahid Khan.
He said that the interim government was yet to give the much-needed signal to streamline the civil administration.
Until now, the interim government has cancelled contractual appointments of 24 officials, including ambassadors and bureaucrats, for the remaining period of their contracts.
Besides, it has brought back five retired additional secretaries and appointed them secretaries on contractual basis.
Sheikh Abdur Rashid has been made secretary of Secondary and Higher Education Department, Md Ehchanul Haque has been made secretary of Road Transport and Highways Department, Mohammad Abdul Momen has been appointed as secretary of Public Security Department of home ministry, Nasimul Gani as secretary of Public Department of President’s Office, and MA Akmal Hossain Azad as secretary of the railways ministry.
Ali Imam Majumder admitted that they required some more time to bring about changes in the top level of the civil administration.
Appointed by the immediate past political regime, most of the current top level officers were still recovering from the shocks after the student-led mass protest toppled Sheikh Hasina government, said the officials.
Former cabinet secretary Musharraf Hossain Bhuyian observed that the interim government had emerged through an extraordinary situation and should be given more time to settle down.
Besides, the civil bureaucracy should not be isolated from the other state apparatuses, he said, adding that eventually it was up to the interim government policymakers to decide how much streamlining was needed for the civil administration.
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