Police inquiry for political affiliation in recruitment, promotion to repeal

The government has decided to cancel the process of inquiry of candidate’s political affiliation during any job appointment and promotion.

The decision has been taken in line with Public Administration Reform Commission’s recommendations. The Chief Adviser’s office, the Public Administration Ministry and two departments of the Home Ministry will implement the decision.

The decision was taken at a meeting at the Chief Adviser’s office on Monday, the second meeting on implementation of the Public Administration Reform Commission.

At the first meeting, held on 16 June, 18 proposals were discussed, of which eight were deemed relatively easier to implement. Several implementation decisions were made for these eight.

In the latest session, the commission discussed progress on those eight and agreed to proceed with implementing several new recommendations.

However, some ministries and departments expressed that certain recommendations are not feasible for immediate implementation. In some cases, the decision was made to form inter-ministerial committees, comprising secretaries from the relevant ministries, to review and move forward with those recommendations.

Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government during the student–people uprising, an interim government was formed under the leadership of Professor Muhammad Yunus on 8 August last year.

Since then, six reform commissions were established to initiate structural reforms across various state sectors. An additional five commissions were later added.

The commissions have submitted their reports. Among them, five key commissions - on the constitution, judiciary, elections, public administration, and anti-corruption commission - are currently under review through dialogues with political parties facilitated by the National Consensus Commission.

Nevertheless, concerns have arisen about the slow pace of implementing reform recommendations outside those under political dialogue.

The government has begun implementing some proposals of the Public Administration Reform Commission, although only the less complex ones are currently in progress.

No major decisions have yet been made regarding structural or systemic changes in public administration.

For years, recruitment and promotions in public service have involved background checks by the police or intelligence agencies, which often include inquiries into the political affiliations of candidates and their relatives.

Even after receiving recommendations for employment, many candidates were rejected due to “adverse remarks,” and some qualified officers were denied promotion for similar reasons. Despite long-standing objections, this practice has persisted.

The reform commission recommended abolishing the practice of inquiry into political background from police or intelligence services for promotions. The commission emphasised that politicisation of the bureaucracy begins at this stage.

Additionally, no police verification should be conducted before the results of written and oral exams are published. After a candidate passes the BCS exam, the Ministry of Public Administration may seek a police report solely to verify whether any criminal case exists against the candidate. If needed, the ministry may also request a report from the Anti-Corruption Commission.

According to Monday’s meeting minutes, the requirement to obtain political information through intelligence agencies for appointments and promotions must be repealed.

The Chief Adviser’s Office, Ministry of Public Administration, Public Security Division, and Security Services Division will be responsible for implementing this decision.

It was also noted that the police verification requirement for Bangladeshi citizens—except those with dual citizenship—has already been revoked.

The commission had recommended that Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) not be placed under the jurisdiction of the Upazila Parishads, but, instead, be empowered to oversee specific matters such as law and order, land management, and mobile court operations, thereby keeping them free from political influence. To that end, it was proposed that a senior Assistant Secretary-level officer be appointed as the secretary to each Upazila Parishad.

A decision was made to form a committee comprising the secretaries or senior secretaries from the Ministry of Public Administration, Local Government Division, and Finance Division. The Cabinet Division will coordinate the committee, which will analyse the implications and present a comprehensive report.

The commission had proposed allowing the government to appoint individuals with special qualifications to up to 5 per cent of positions such as Joint Secretary or head of an agency on a contractual basis, outside the proposed “Superior Executive Service”.

The meeting discussed pros and cons and previous experiences with such appointments. It was noted that individuals hired through special quotas under the existing system have faced questions about integrity and competence.

It was decided that a committee comprising secretaries from the Land Ministry, Finance Division, and Local Government Division would be formed under the Cabinet Division to submit a report on this matter.

The proposal to transfer the Land Registration Department from the Ministry of Law to the Ministry of Land was deemed not currently feasible. Representatives from the Law Ministry and its affiliated division expressed this view at Monday’s meeting.

It was agreed that further discussions involving the National Consensus Commission and the Chief Adviser would be required before making a final decision.

One of the commission’s proposals stated that if an employee reaches the highest grade for promotion and does not receive further increments and is not subject to major disciplinary action, they should receive the next pay scale after two years.

The Secretary of the Finance Division stated that such a provision could be considered in the next pay scale revision.

Accordingly, it was decided that due to the financial implications, the Finance Division would prepare a detailed review and submit a proposal to the Chief Adviser’s Office by 31 July.

Acknowledging that public administration reform is a continuous process, the commission had recommended establishing an independent and permanent Public Administration Reform Commission.

A decision was made to form a committee comprising secretaries from the Cabinet Division, Ministry of Public Administration, Finance Division, and Law & Justice Division to submit a full report on this matter.

The 16 June meeting had resulted in implementation decisions on eight proposals considered relatively easy to execute. Monday's meeting reviewed the progress of those initiatives.

Among other matters, it was decided to finalise and issue the policy for forming managing committees of secondary schools and colleges by 25 July.

Additionally, all cluster websites of ministries and departments must update their interfaces and content within one month. Revised guidelines to ensure periodic public hearings in all government offices must be issued by 24 July.