Promotion spree in civil admin

Excessive promotions and upgradation of the posts of cadre officials have left the civil administration in an awful state. The number of officials here is three to four times greater than the posts approved in the organogram.
With more promotions and post-gradation in the pipeline, the situation is set to go even worse, said sources in the bureaucracy, adding that all this was to make the officials happy before the parliamentary elections.
In an exceptional move, the government on Tuesday promoted 70 deputy secretaries to joint secretaries, knowing that there were already 943 joint secretaries against 250 posts.
This has set a rare precedent, as the number of joint secretaries (1,013) has exceeded the number of entry-level assistant secretaries (962).
The promotion fest came less than two months after a record number of 345 deputy secretaries were promoted to joint secretaries. The Superior Selection Board had recommended promoting 220 officials, but accommodated 125 more officials due to pressure    from government high-ups.
Although this unprofessional handling of civil servants has destroyed the ideal pyramid structure of the administration and made it top-heavy, Senior Secretary of Public Administration Ministry Abdus Sobhan Sikder finds nothing wrong in it.
“The officials are being promoted on condition that they will carry on with their current duties. We are unable to create new posts now,” Sikder told The Daily Star.
Strong lobbying from various quarters in the government, political considerations and nepotism ahead of the election have been blamed for this promotion spree.
Sources in the cabinet division said a process was underway to promote 200 joint secretaries to the rank of additional secretary next month.
If the government considers the demand of some senior assistant secretaries, they may also be promoted to deputy secretaries. Some 202 senior assistant secretaries were made deputy secretaries in March this year. There are now 1,447 senior assistant secretaries.
Since there is little or no chance of promoting an additional secretary to the highest secretary position, the government has decided to upgrade grade-II posts, so that some officials can enjoy the status of a secretary.
Sikder said some 30 to 32 grade-II posts would be upgraded to grade-I. “We will issue an order next week taking opinions from the finance division,” he added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already approved a proposal in this regard.
Once upgraded, the officials posted as heads of different departments, directorates and institutions would enjoy the status of secretary.
There are now 71 secretaries, including two officers on special duty (OSD). Earlier, the government had created a new post called senior secretary and promoted four secretaries to that rank.
However, the demand for promotion at different tiers of the administration is not over.
Last month, a group of senior assistant secretaries of BCS 20th and 21st batches met the prime minister’s public administration affairs adviser HT Imam at the Prime Minister’s Office demanding promotion.
“He [HT Imam] assured us of considering the demand,” said a senior assistant secretary who had met the adviser.
Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said some more officials got promoted as they, upon being instructed by the prime minister, followed a liberal policy in giving promotion.
“But that does not mean we have promoted ineligible officials,” he said.
But many officials in the civil administration contradicted him, saying that there were some officials who were not eligible but got promoted to joint secretary and additional secretary ranks.
“They got the lift because of political    considerations and    strong lobbying,” said a senior official of the public administration ministry.
About upgrading posts, the cabinet secretary said posts like the head of a large department or directorate that has to deal with a large number of staff and huge work should be upgraded to run the institution smoothly.