The civil administration appears to be weighed down by excessive appointments of top-tier officials beyond sanctioned posts, a contentious practice known as supernumerary promotion.

More than 1,300 officials have been promoted to the ranks of deputy secretary, joint secretary, and additional secretary since the interim government assumed office on August 8 last year, according to data from the public administration ministry.

Among them, around 550 were promoted beyond sanctioned posts, and 764 were picked from former officials of the administration cadre -- a move insiders described as unprecedented in the history of Bangladesh's public administration.

These ex-officials were given retrospective promotions with all financial benefits on the grounds that they had been deprived during the tenure of the Awami League government.

Experts and officials argue that the move undermines administrative discipline, contradicts the spirit of the July-August mass uprising, and raises serious concern about administrative efficiency and fairness.

Abdul Awal Mazumder, a former secretary and researcher, said, "This kind of promotion spree is one of the reasons for the decline in the standards of civil service. This is completely unacceptable."

He suggested that a structured promotion system based on merit and competence should be put in place.

Supernumerary posts are temporary positions created outside the regular structure to facilitate promotions or workforce adjustments.

The ministry's data shows a sharp mismatch between the number of sanctioned posts and that of the appointees. At present, there are 382 additional secretaries against 121 sanctioned posts across ministries. Of them, 142 were promoted between August 25 and December 31 last year.

The contrast is more apparent at the joint secretary level: 1,035 officials hold the position against only 272 approved posts. Of them, 419 got promotions over the last eight months.

Moreover, a staggering 1,404 officials are now serving as deputy secretaries against 350 sanctioned posts.

Defending the government decision, an additional secretary at the public administration ministry said many officials with ranks of deputy secretary, joint secretary and additional secretary are assigned to departments and also given responsibilities of project directors or similar roles outside ministries.

"That is why, in some cases, promotions beyond the approved organogram become necessary," said the official seeking anonymity.

Data shows that several ministries and divisions are currently hosting more officials than sanctioned posts.

For instance, the public administration ministry has eight additional secretaries against just two sanctioned positions.

In the Health Services Division, 11 officials hold the position of additional secretary against only two sanctioned posts. Though the division's administration wing has no sanctioned post of joint secretary, seven officials now hold the position.

FRUSTRATION AMONG OFFICIALS OF OTHER CADRES

Of the 26 cadres in civil service, the administration cadre gets the lion's share of supernumerary promotions. Police, foreign affairs, and tax cadres also get some shares.

Aggrieved officials said the undue favour towards the admin cadre created resentment, prompting officials from 25 cadres to stage protests for fair promotion practices after the July uprising. But the supernumerary promotions in the admin cadre continued.

They alleged that while their demands for regular promotions are being ignored, current and ex-officials of the admin cadre are getting promoted in phases.

Mohammad Omer Faruque, an information cadre official, said, "The interim administration, much like a political government, is favouring one cadre over others.

"For the benefit of 6,000 admin cadre officials, the government is discriminating against nearly 60,000 from the rest 25 cadres, ignoring their rightful promotions," said Faruque, a coordinator of the aggrieved officials.

Amid growing discontent among officials from various cadres, 765 officials of education cadre were promoted to associate professors on a supernumerary basis in January. Besides, more than 7,000 doctors are likely to be promoted, say ministry sources.

An official from the agriculture cadre said that following the mass uprising, there has been a change in admin cadre officials' attitude towards other cadres.

"They no longer oppose our promotions. They now say, 'go ahead with yours but don't oppose ours'," the official said on the condition of anonymity.

Terming the long-standing practice "a glaring example of waste of taxpayers' money", a retired official of the information cadre said, "I'm not aware of any other country where bureaucracy operates like this.

"Such practice must end. There cannot be any promotions for a cadre beyond sanctioned posts," said the ex-official seeking anonymity.

Contacted, Mokhles Ur Rahman, senior secretary to the public administration ministry, said, "Promotions at top tiers are made on the basis of the government's policy decisions. I won't comment further on this matter."

Replying to a query from this newspaper at a recent event, Salehuddin Ahmed, finance adviser and convener of the Advisory Committee on Public Administration Affairs, said, "It was becoming almost impossible to keep people working without promotions. Some even went on hunger strike. We have to keep the system running."

OVER 500 OFFICIALS MADE OSD

More than 500 officials, including at least 13 secretaries, have been designated as Officers on Special Duty (OSD) -- the highest number in recent times, according to public administration ministry officials with knowledge about the matter.

In civil administration, officials are made OSD for either punitive or administrative reasons such as special assignments or study leave.

The officials, made OSD for punitive reasons, are sidelined and not given any responsibilities. They, however, continue to receive full salaries and benefits.

According to officials at the ministry's Appointment, Promotion, and Deputation Wing, the interim government has so far made 120-130 officials OSD for punitive reasons.

They said the number of such officials was much higher during the tenure of the Awami League government

The majority of the 500 officials were made OSD for administrative reasons, which is not unusual, they added.

Firoz Mia, a civil service expert and former additional secretary, said the officials, who were made OSD over allegations of irregularities and corruption, should be punished through proper investigation.

But the officials, who are not facing such allegations, should be given postings immediately as the public servants are paid with taxpayers' money, he added.