Reform commission recommends separating education, health from cadre

The Public Administration Reforms Commission has recommended separating the BCS education and health services from the cadre system, similar to the structure of the Judicial Service.

Additionally, instead of the current system governing the administration cadre, a new service is being proposed where their roles would be limited to field administration.

Under the proposed reforms, officers from both the administration cadre and other cadre and non-cadre services would have the opportunity to become deputy secretaries through a competitive examination.

The selection ratio for this promotion would be 50 per cent from the admin cadre and 50 per cent from other cadres and non-cadres.

Currently, 75 per cent of deputy secretary positions are filled through promotions from the administration cadre without an exam, while only 25 per cent come from other cadres.

The commission’s report is expected to include over a hundred recommendations. Those may include upgrading the starting position in the BCS cadre to the sixth grade (from the current ninth grade), eliminating supernumerary (temporary) posts to prevent promotions beyond vacant positions, cancelling car loan facilities at the deputy secretary level, reducing the number of ministries, and restructuring four divisions (Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, and Khulna) into four provinces.

The Public Administration Reform Commission is set to submit its report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus Wednesday. Ahead of this, commission members held their final meeting at the Ministry of Public Administration at the Secretariat yesterday, Tuesday.

When journalists asked the head of the commission, Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, about the recommendations, he declined to comment, stating only that there are more than 100 recommendations.

Meanwhile, the member secretary of the Reform Commission and senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Md. Mokhles Ur Rahman, said, “After submitting the report, it will be a public document. It will be posted on the website, and everyone can check then.”

Currently, recruitment for 26 cadres of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) is conducted through a three-stage examination under the Public Service Commission (PSC). Cadre allocation is determined based on the candidates’ preferences and their exam results.

The 26 cadres include administration, police, foreign affairs, taxation, agriculture, Ansar, audit and accounts, cooperatives, customs and excise, family planning, fisheries, food, forestry, general education, technical education, health, information, livestock, postal services, public health engineering, public works, railway engineering, railway transport and commerce, roads and highways, statistics, and commerce.

Each cadre has distinct responsibilities, as well as differences in promotion opportunities and benefits. These disparities have led to long-standing conflicts between cadres regarding career progression and privileges.

Among these, the BCS education and health cadres are the largest in terms of the number of officers. The education cadre has approximately 16,000 officers, while the health cadre consists of more than 30,000 members.

The Public Administration Reforms Commission is set to recommend separating these two services from the BCS cadre system, similar to the Judicial Service Commission. However, officials from these cadres have expressed objections to this proposal. 

According to commission sources, there is also a recommendation allowing education and health officials to participate in the deputy secretary-level promotion examination, even if they are separated from the cadre system.

Additionally, a source, speaking anonymously, revealed that the commission is planning significant reforms in the administration sector. To establish parity with other cadres, the administration cadre will be classified as a separate service. The cooperative and food cadres will be merged into the administration cadre.

Furthermore, administration cadre positions will be restricted to field administration roles such as Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC). The highest-ranking position at the field level will be the divisional commissioner.

However, a new top-level position, possibly titled “Chief Commissioner,” may be introduced. This role will primarily oversee field administration, a function currently managed by the field administration branch of the Cabinet Division.

Currently, officials from various cadres, in addition to the administration cadre, can be promoted to the position of deputy secretary. In this system, 75 of deputy secretaries are appointed from the administration cadre, while 25 per cent come from other cadres. At present, there are approximately 1,600 deputy secretaries, and those promoted to this position gradually move up the ranks.

Under the current system, deputy commissioners (DCs) are typically selected from deputy secretaries within the administration cadre. However, the reform commission is considering recommending that some field-level officers, such as additional deputy commissioners (ADCs), also be eligible for appointment as DCs.

The commission may also propose reducing the number of ministries and introducing the position of ‘chief secretary’ in ministries with multiple departments to streamline governance.

Another significant recommendation involves changes to voluntary retirement benefits. Currently, officials can retire voluntarily after 25 years of service while retaining pension benefits. The reform commission is recommending that voluntary retirement with pension benefits be allowed after just 15 years of service.

Commenting on these recommendations, commission head Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury told newspersons, “All the recommendations we are making are feasible for implementation. However, the final decision on whether to implement them rests with the government.”

* This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat