WE find the government’s latest effort totally useless and unnecessary of promoting seven secretaries to senior secretary level posts only for a few days while one of them would get time to serve the republic just for one day. Strange as it may sound, but that is what happened in the secretariat. With this newest incident, it is again proved that government is run by the bureaucrats, not by the politicians. The notification issued by the Public Administration Ministry on Monday night stated that secretary at the fisheries and Livestock Ministry promoted to one of the most-coveted administrative posts, senior secretary, effective from December 30 who will go on post-retirement leave (PRL) the following day. Public Administration Ministry Secretary also got promoted that night will have a few more days to serve. These promotions will result in a significant rise in the top officials’ post-retirement benefits though they will not have much time to serve the country. That means, the government intentionally took such decision to provide them with more financial benefits.
The post of Senior Secretary was created in 2012 only to make bureaucrats happy and increase their financial benefits though many former top bureaucrats said there was no rationale behind the promotion. The post of Senior Secretary is one notch higher than that of Secretary and one notch below that of the Cabinet Secretary. However, the post of senior secretary does not exist in bureaucracy in neighbouring countries. What’s important is that the principles of public servant promotion should be based on quality, capacity and knowledge as the bureaucracy are known as apolitical arm of the government. But bureaucracy in our country is often mired in politics. Not only the ruling Awami League, all the subsequent governments have treated the bureaucrats as partisan cadres. It’s impossible to get any lucrative posting, promotion, foreign trip, etcetera if any official fails to keep adjustment with government’s politics.
The politicised bureaucracy can never bring any good for a democratic government, but they can take a government on the verge of destruction.
The post of Senior Secretary was created in 2012 only to make bureaucrats happy and increase their financial benefits though many former top bureaucrats said there was no rationale behind the promotion. The post of Senior Secretary is one notch higher than that of Secretary and one notch below that of the Cabinet Secretary. However, the post of senior secretary does not exist in bureaucracy in neighbouring countries. What’s important is that the principles of public servant promotion should be based on quality, capacity and knowledge as the bureaucracy are known as apolitical arm of the government. But bureaucracy in our country is often mired in politics. Not only the ruling Awami League, all the subsequent governments have treated the bureaucrats as partisan cadres. It’s impossible to get any lucrative posting, promotion, foreign trip, etcetera if any official fails to keep adjustment with government’s politics.
The politicised bureaucracy can never bring any good for a democratic government, but they can take a government on the verge of destruction.
