The Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division, Humayun Kabir, holds three responsibilities.
Firstly, as an Additional Secretary, he has to handle the work of his office. Secondly, he heads the District and Field Administration Wing of the Cabinet Division.
Thirdly, he is also the head of the Committee and Economic Wing of the same department.
Any formal government directive is sent to the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) from the Cabinet Division.
The District and Field Administration Wing also resolves disciplinary complaints against field administration officers.
The Committee and Economic Wing carries out various tasks, such as preparing documents for government procurements exceeding Tk 50 million.
The work of these three wings is essential. Humayun Kabir did not take on these three responsibilities by choice; rather, the government imposed them on him.
On the other hand, many officers have no work and are taking salaries while doing nothing. They are known as Special Duty Officers (OSD). Their number is around 650.
There are also some officers who have been assigned unimportant duties, which involve very little work. They mostly spend time wandering around different offices, chatting.
Speaking with officials at various levels of the administration revealed that the BNP government is unable to find trusted officers. Those considered trustworthy are being given multiple responsibilities. Those not considered trustworthy are being given unimportant positions.
Speaking with officials at various levels of the administration revealed that the BNP government is unable to find trusted officers. Those considered trustworthy are being given multiple responsibilities. Those not considered trustworthy are being given unimportant positions.
Conversely, those who were trusted during the ousted Awami League government's tenure are being forced into retirement or made OSDs.
On 28 July, the government forcibly retired 32 joint secretaries simultaneously. They held various important positions, including that of Deputy Commissioner (DC), during the tenure of the ousted Awami League government. During the controversial election known as the "night vote" in 2018, almost all of them served as Deputy Commissioners and Returning Officers.
Officers with multiple responsibilities
An investigation at the ministry reveals several officers holding multiple responsibilities. For example, another Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division, Mohammad Khaled Hasan, is in charge of three wings simultaneously (Blue Economy, Coordination, and Reform).
Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry Mohammad Abdul Qader is responsible for the Development Wing and the Narcotics Control Wing.
Additional Secretary of the Planning Wing of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Abdul Mannan, is also serving as the Chairman of Petrobangla.
The work of these three wings is essential. Humayun Kabir did not take on these three responsibilities by choice; rather, the government imposed them on him.
Additional Secretary of the Power Division, Habibun Nahar, is additionally serving as the Managing Director of Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC).
On 12 August, an office order appointed Additional Secretary Manzur Alam, head of the Development Wing of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
Additional Secretary Suraiya Akhtar Jahan of the Local Government Ministry has two responsibilities, while Additional Secretaries SM Ahsanul Aziz and Nazrul Islam of the Health Education and Family Welfare Division manage two divisions each.
Additional Secretary Tahmina Yasmin of the Road Transport and Highways Division handles the responsibilities of three wings simultaneously.
Additional Secretaries Ayesha Akter of the Commerce Ministry, Mahbubul Haque Patwary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Education Ministry, Mohammad Nuruzzaman of the Industries Ministry, Aminul Islam of the Land Ministry, and KM Abdul Wadud of the Information Ministry are managing two wings each.
Officials at the public administration point out several problems associated with one person holding multiple responsibilities. They believe that having multiple responsibilities means no task is done properly.
No government appoints someone outside of its preference and political ideology to important positions in ministries. Consequently, one officer has to handle multiple responsibilities. This results in a slowdown in work and delays in the implementation of any government decision.Former Secretary and BPATC rector AKM Abdul Awal Majumder
More officers than positions
Currently, in public administration, there are more officers than positions.
For instance, the number of posts, including deputations, for Additional Secretary is 337. Currently, about 350 individuals are working in this position. Against 502 positions for joint secretaries, there are around 1, 500 officers. During the Awami League government, the interim government, and the current government, promotions were made without available positions.
Despite having so much personnel, why is one person given multiple responsibilities? According to individuals associated with public administration, the main problem in the administration is politicisation.
In Bangladesh, political governments have always politicised the administration. The level of politicisation during the previous Awami League government exceeded expectations, and bureaucrats were used to maintain power.
The Public Administration Reform Commission report formed during the interim government stated that the extensive politicalisation over a long period has caused the country's public administration to lose its public orientation, accountability, and neutrality.
Additionally, inefficiency, incompetence, and ineffectiveness have engulfed the entire system to such an extent that it is unsuitable for fulfilling the expectations of a democratic and welfare-oriented state.
The Public Administration Reform Commission made various recommendations, but they have remained on paper.
The BNP stated in their election manifesto that qualifications would be the only criteria for recruitment, transfer, and promotion in the administration.
It also assured that no one would be unfairly deprived.
Former Secretary and Rector of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC), AKM Abdul Awal Majumder, told Prothom Alo that no government appoints someone outside of its preference and political ideology to important positions in ministries.
Consequently, one officer has to handle multiple responsibilities. This results in a slowdown in work and delays in the implementation of any government decision.