221 officials made joint secretaries – Why this bumper deal

Government seal

Dhaka Sept 5 --The government has promoted a total of 221 deputy secretaries and officers of equivalent rank to the rank of joint secretary.

The Ministry of Public Administration on Monday night issued two gazette notifications in this regard signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Sheikh Shamsul Arefin.

According to the notifications, this order was issued in the public interest and the promoted officers were asked to submit their joining letters through the proper authority, reports UNB

Government officials should definitely get due promotions, but so many promotions in just one go cannot but point to the crucial question whether those were so urgent. Are there so many posts of joint secretaries to be filled by the new promotees?

More important is the question of the mode of promotion. Positions above the rank of senior assistant secretary are quite competitive and need to be filled only on the basis of merit and need. Above the rank of deputy secretary promotions have all along been very selective depending on the availability of posts.

If the newly promoted officers have to perform the duties of deputy secretaries while holding the ranks of joint secretary, would not they feel degraded. In the past there had been the practice of giving selection grade to deserving officers who could not make it to the next higher rank filled strictly on merit basis. That way neither a deserving officer feels neglected nor a more meritorious officer of the next higher rank feels degraded.

Most importantly, in these days of economic hardship when imports have been restricted, many businessmen cannot open letters of credit, and rich people have been advised to practice austerity – poor and fixed income people do not need this piece of advice as they have to live within their means – why this luxury of bumper promotions.