Discontent is being brewing in different tiers of the public administration day by day since a huge number of officials are feeling deprive of due to posting and promotion anomalies, affecting services to the people and the government both.
The problem is also affecting quality of government (Administrative) services because the administration is not getting contributions from them, many of whom are brilliant officers, who were either being avoided during promotion or passing painful days as officer on special duty (OSD). At present there is 365 officials, from Additional Secretary at the top to Assistant Secretary to the bottom. Senior officials of the government told The New Nation on Sunday that the situation has created on unacceptable grounds or political consideration. The officials, however, pleaded not to disclose their names publicly. But politicization is a fact of party politics, which cannot be denied.
“A group of ‘unsatisfied’ bureaucrats, comprising promoted officials from Secretaries on the top to Senior Assistant Secretaries to the bottom, has emerged since they are being forced to work in previous positions after the latest promotion, since there is no post in their elevated position,” said an Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Establishment. He further added: “The OSD officers have always being seen lobbying for posting since their situation is ‘disgraceful’ in the eye of their colleagues and the society although they enjoy all the facilities, including salary, cars, residence, security and even personal staffs. But they don’t need to work.”
He hastened to add, “But a new group of ‘unhappy’ men and women has emerged comprising promoted officials, who have applied to become OSD till their new elevated posts are available.”
A Senior Joint Secretary told this Correspondent that there exists another group comprising many of the senior officials, who were working under their own juniors, because of the promotion-anomalies. This situation has generated, as the Senior Selection Board (SSB) did not follow the seniority criterion when promoting officers.
Those become OSD are placed under the Ministry of Establishment. Although making OSD was a regular practice in the Civil Administration, it is now considered as punishment. The length of OSD-ship could be a few months to five years.
The Establishment Ministry has now 52 Additional Secretaries, 138 Joint Secretaries, 90 Deputy Secretaries, 40 Senior Assistant Secretaries and 45 Assistant Secretaries, who are as languishing disrespectful days as OSD.
The process of making OSD on political consideration continued during the first AL government-led by Sheikh Hasina and the 4-party alliance regime of Khaleda Zia, a Professor of Public Administration Department of Dhaka University said.
“Many officers suspected to be pro-opposition were made OSD during that time and which fertilized the emergence of the ‘Projatantrer Karmachari Oikyo’ leading to ‘Janatar Mancha at fag end of Khaleda’s first government,” he recalled.
An Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Establishment told this Correspondent that at least 49 Additional Secretaries, 35 Joint Secretaries, 12 Deputy Secretaries and one Senior Assistant Secretaries had gone to retirement as OSD from 2009.
Similarly, during the Khaleda’s 4-party alliance government 70 Additional and Joint Secretaries had to retire as OSD, he added.
After sworn in to power, Sheikh Hasina’s present government made officials, who were appointed or promoted from 2002 to 2006 who were placed as OSD by Khaleda Zia.
Expressing deep concern over the practice, the Dhaka University Professor, who pleaded not to disclose his identity, said this process could backfire on the government.
There are many who agree that political victimization of permanent government officials can do no good for building an efficient and responsible administrative structure that serve well a government anxious to have good governance, not merely staying in power.
