The government is set to promote officers to the posts of deputy secretaries, additional secretaries and secretaries even though there are no vacancies, further increasing the number of officers on special duty (OSD).
Sources said these officers could be stuck as OSDs for months since the government will face difficulties in posting them.
Currently, there are 126 additional secretaries against 108 posts, 408 joint secretaries against 355 posts and 1,330 deputy secretaries against 830 posts.
Sources say that there are around 400 OSD officers in the ministry. At least 158 were made OSDs after being promoted to joint secretaries Sunday.
Promotion without vacant posts at various levels left many officers without work. Many did not get new responsibilities after promotions and remained in the same position. Sources said this is causing stagnation at work and frustration among them.
"The outdated wrong recruitment system and lack of career planning for the civil bureaucrats are the reasons behind this situation," former cabinet secretary and adviser to a caretaker government Dr Akbar Ali Khan observed.
He said the whole administrative system has to be changed where there would be no wholesale recruitments or promotions. "We must stop the idea of promoting all officers," he added.
The Superior Selection Board (SSB) yesterday held a meeting at the establishment ministry to prepare a list of officers to be promoted. The six-member body with Cabinet Secretary Md Abdul Aziz as chairman went through service records of officials.
"We will sit again soon to prepare a list of the officers to be recommended for promotion," a member of the body told The Daily Star.
Several hundred senior assistant secretaries will be made deputy secretaries in the next round of promotions. Promotions to secretaries and additional secretaries would be finalised after the prime minister returns home, establishment ministry sources said.
As per the rules, the government should give promotions against vacant positions only.
However, Establishment Secretary Iqbal Mahbud told The Daily Star yesterday that the government wants to promote as many officials as possible since promotions of most batches are due.
Iqbal, who is also a member of SSB, said more promotions of officers are one of the reasons for officers becoming OSDs.
He said the promoted officers are given posts gradually.
HECTIC LOBBYING
Aspirant officers are now busy lobbying to get themselves in the next round of promotions. They are leaving no stones unturned and are contacting influential quarters in the ruling Awami League as well as senior officials, sources in the Secretariat said.
"Many desperate bureaucrats are even persuading their ministers to get promotions," said a source.
In September last year, the Awami League-led government promoted 494 officers, mostly belonging to the administrative cadre, to deputy secretaries, joint secretaries and additional secretaries.
"Allegations of rampant irregularities and nepotism, which marked that mass promotion, are the reason for the ongoing rat race among the officers," observed the source.
DEPRIVED OFFICERS
SEEK REVIEW
The deputy secretaries who were deprived of promotion last Sunday started filing appeals with the establishment secretary for review.
So far, six deputy secretaries submitted applications claiming themselves eligible to become joint secretaries.
"I am not involved in politics. I don't have even a single black spot in my long 25-year career. I deserved promotion," one of them said claiming that his name was on the list of promotion but left out in the last moment.
The establishment secretary said, "It is the SSB that recommends for promotions after discussing thoroughly and going through service records of officers."
Many officers at the Secretariat yesterday said about 150 deputy secretaries, who were deprived of promotions Sunday, are eligible for promotions.