Reform commission report proposes 50:50 quota for deputy secretary post
The public administration reform commission is set to submit its report keeping a proposal of 50:50 quota for the admin cadre and the other cadres for the deputy secretary posts in place of the current ratio of 75:25.
The commission source hinted this to Prothom Alo.
The reform commission will submit its report to interim government chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday.
Asked, the commission chief Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury confirmed 5 February as the date of submitting the report. He, however, declined to comment on the contents of the report.
The admin cadre officials are aggrieved with the proposal to slash their reservation ratio in the deputy secretary post while the officials of other cadres demanded cancellation of the quota of admin cadres.
Meanwhile, the admin cadre officials, especially the junior officials, gathered in the capital’s BIAM auditorium upon learning the probable proposals of the reform commission Sunday evening.
The cabinet division in October last year issued a notification on forming six reform commissions, including the public administration reform commission.
Former caretaker government’s adviser and a former secretary Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury is the head of the public administration reform commission. Though the commission was supposed to submit its report by 31 December 2024, the government extended its deadline. Four commissions have already submitted their reports.
Earlier, in December last year, commission chief Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury shared with the media certain probable proposals of the reform commission and the commission’s member secretary and senior secretary Md Mokhles Ur Rahman.
The likely recommendations include – promotions to the positions of deputy secretary to additional secretary through exams, allocation of 50 per cent of deputy secretary posts for admin cadre and the remaining 50 per cent for officials from other cadres and keeping education and health cadres out of the cadre system.
Alongside admin cadres, officials of education and health cadres also protested at the recommendations.
The admin cadre officials reacted sharply about the probable proposals, saying that they will not comply with that. They also reminded the commission of a verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
On 25 December 2024, former and current admin cadre officials organised a protest meeting at BIAM auditorium. They demanded the removal or resignation of Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, chief of the public administration reform commission within 48 hours. They also warned of stricter actions in case of any ‘unwarranted’ recommendation from the commission.
The officials of 25 cadres, under the banner of ‘Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council’ formed human chains in front of their respective offices on 26 December to press home their demand of cancelling the admin cadre officials’ reservation in the promotion to deputy secretary post and exclusion of education and health from the cadre service.
Prothom Alo on 3 January carried a report saying that the government officials, who made vitriolic remarks against other cadre officials after the possible proposals of the reform commission came to light, will face punitive actions.
Eight officials of BCS administration, education, health and fisheries and livestock cadres have been suspended. Apart from them, the public admin ministry sent letters to relevant ministries to take actions against two officials.
In this context, there was a curiosity among the people to see whether the proposals remain in the final report of the reform commission.
Wishing not to be named, an admin cadre official, who was present at BIAM auditorium told Prothom Alo that they discussed the matter.
The official further said they will continue systematically so that the proposals of the reform commission regarding slashing the quota for admin officials in the deputy secretary post is not implemented.