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Administration in promotion spree

85 elevated to additional secy;300 more deputy secy soon

Staff Correspondent
The new government on its first day yesterday promoted 85 joint secretaries to the posts of additional secretaries.
The approved number of additional secretaries in the organogram is 120 but yesterday's promotions made the total number of additional secretaries 334.
"Five of those who have been made additional secretaries are now on deputation. Their promotion will be effective after they join office," Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Abdus Sobhan Sikder told The Daily Star last night.
Sources in the ministry said the government was going to promote 300 senior assistant secretaries to the ranks of deputy secretaries soon.
Yesterday, there were reshuffling in the civil service as well.
Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Abul Kalam Azad was appointed as secretary of the Prime Minister's Office. Molla Waheduzzaman had been holding the post for the last five years of the previous government.
Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, who was made officer on special duty (OSD) in December, 2012, following his alleged involvement in the Padma bridge scam, was appointed as a member of the Privatisation Commission yesterday replacingSuraiya Begum.
Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin has been made ERD secretary, while Suraiya Begum was made IMED secretary, according to separate gazette notifications.
Sources in the public administration ministry, however, said the process of promoting civil servants to the posts of additional and deputy secretaries was finalised a month before the January 5 elections, apparently to make the civil service happy. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had held the promotions back to avoid potential criticism ahead of the polls, the sources added.
An excessive number of officials have been crowding each tier of the civil administration due to excessive promotions during the tenure of Awami League-led government in 2009-13, turning the bureaucracy top-
heavy.
During the period, more than 2,500 officials were promoted, which pushed the number of OSDs to nearly 600. Officer on Special Duty (OSD) is a position in which an officer has no official duty.
The placement and transfers of officials also became difficult as there were no vacant posts.
Earlier in November, senior secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder said excessive promotions had contributed to the number of OSDs and promotions should be awarded to only those who deserve them and to those who would retire soon.
"Everyone knows there are no vacant posts but the demand for
promotion is there from the officials. The promoted officials will not get new desks. We are promoting them to elevate their status and honour," he added.
Currently, there are 1,316 deputy secretaries against 830 posts, and 928 joint secretaries against 250 posts. Three secretaries are OSD as there are no vacant posts for them.