When the newly elected government assumed office, expectations were high that the civil administration would undergo a genuine restructuring -- different from the reshuffles of recent years.
Officials in the secretariat, the nerve centre of the bureaucracy, anticipated that contractual appointees from the interim government would be phased out, making way for regular cadre officers to reclaim their positions.
However, the opposite scenario is unfolding.
Contractual appointees from the interim period, including the Cabinet secretary and the secretaries for Public Administration, Land, and Expatriates’ Welfare, have remained in place.
More strikingly, the BNP-led government has yet to grant any regular promotions at the secretary level. On the contrary, it has extended the practice of contractual appointments for many key posts, including those of principal secretary and home secretary.
This week, four former officers were appointed to key positions at various ministries, including the local government ministry. All of them are over 65 years of age. One of them, Shahidul Hassan, is 75 years old. He was appointed as the secretary to the Local Government Division.
This continuation of contractual appointments has caused deep frustration among career officers aspiring to top administrative roles.
Many argue that those brought in on contract have been detached from the mainstream bureaucracy for 10 to 15 years, leaving them unfamiliar with its current dynamics. As a result, they fear the pace of administration may slow down, with contractual appointees struggling to grasp the evolving demands and complexities of governance.
Even officers known to be inclined towards the ruling party now express scepticism about the success of the new government’s 180-day plan.
An additional secretary, speaking anonymously, said that once these contractual secretaries take charge, their first priority will be seeking the status of “senior secretary”.
“It will take them six months just to understand the ministry’s departments, agencies, and projects…. By the time a year passes, they will already be lobbying for another contract extension. Therefore, these types of appointments could be a suicidal decision for the current government.”
Another additional secretary, known as a former Chhatra Dal activist and an influential officer, said that frustration is spreading throughout the administration. “Even junior officers are worried. These contractual appointments are harmful not only to our careers but also to the country and to the prime minister himself.”
The issue of avoiding contractual appointments is also being discussed in the Administrative Service Association’s Facebook group.
A leader of the organisation, preferring anonymity, told this correspondent, “Our promotions are coming up, and those deciding them are themselves contractual appointees. We cannot speak against them. We urge the top levels of government to reconsider these matters.”
On March 1, the government appointed Munshi Alauddin Al Azad as the secretary of the religious affairs ministry on a one-year contract. He has never worked in this ministry before and has been away from the regular administration for 17 years.
Meanwhile, 69-year-old Rafiqul I Mohamed has been appointed as the secretary of the agriculture ministry, and 66-year-old Kamruzzaman Chowdhury as the secretary of the Health Services Division.
Additionally, it is reported that Abdul Khaleq, the newly appointed 65-year-old secretary for the Secondary and Higher Education Division, has never held any position in this ministry before.
Under section 49 of the Public Service Act 2018, the government can appoint retired officers on a contractual basis. However, it is the tradition to prioritise an officer’s specialised skills and expertise in the relevant field.
Are we seeing this reflected in these appointments? Does this data align with the government’s declared 180-day target?
Asked about the issue, former NBR secretary and chairman Badiur Rahman told The Daily Star that the interim government “failed by relying on contractual appointments and retrospective promotions”.
“If this government follows the same path with the same category of officers, what else can we say?”
A former Cabinet secretary, preferring anonymity, remarked that the prime minister, being a first-time MP as well as the head of the government, does not appear to have appointed the right people to guide him. “Even before forming the government, he has been confined within a specific circle. Based on my observations of administrative appointments so far, that still seems to be the case.”
The frequent contractual appointments to key secretary positions have led to a surge of retired officers at the secretariat. On Wednesday, several groups of former officers met with the public administration adviser, state minister, and senior secretary.
Observing the situation, an official told The Daily Star that while there was a rush for retrospective promotions during the interim government, there is now intense lobbying for appointments as secretaries and senior secretaries in important ministries.
“Even some who served as secretaries briefly during the Awami League regime are now claiming to be ‘deprived’ in order to lobby for contractual positions.”
Another official noted that while some competent officers were promoted retrospectively by the interim government, many unqualified and corrupt officers also received such benefits.
“If the highest levels of the government do not stop this, it is hard to say what will happen to the administration.”
