Recently nine ministers, state ministers and parliamentary standing committee members issued Demi Official (DO) letters to public administration ministry seeking promotions of 10 government officials, said a report of Prothom Alo on 9 August.
The DO letters recommended for giving promotions to certain deputy secretaries as joint secretaries and additional secretaries. Currently, promotion is given by Superior Selection Board (SSB) taking into consideration the officials' efficiency and qualifications, annual confidential report (ACR) and reports of intelligence agencies.
It cannot be denied that in a very few cases such DO letters are spontaneously issued. Most of the letters are issued at the request and lobbying of concerned officials. State minister Zahid Hasan said he sent the DO letter failing to ignore the request of concerned official. He acknowledged that the matter is embarrasing for him too.
Justifying their actions, some ministers termed the concerned officials as competent and honest. Does this imply those who were not recommended through DO letters are incompetent and dishonest?
Again, some of the cabinet members and MPs identified several officials as former activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of governing Bangladesh Awami League, and/or family members of pro-liberation forces. What is the justification of such claims? Does this mean the government who were not BCL activists whould not get promotion? Neither there is any possibility of promotion of the officials who are not from the families pro-liberation forces?
The Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979 says that no government official can approach directly or indirectly to any MP or any other non-government persons with any requests to interfere in his favour. Speaking to Prothom Alo, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Mazumder said the officials on whose behalf the ministers and MPs gave the letters should be brought under punishment. Because he is the one who advocated for sending the letter.
Involvement with any organisation as a student or family identity can never be matters to consider for giving promotion. Besides, what is the necessity of maintaining SSB if DO letters or lobby become yardsticks for promotion? The annual confidential report of the government officials also become valueless then.
Already a chaos is ensuing in the public administration in the country. The shape of public administration of any country looks like a pyramid, with more people at the base and less in number as the ranks increase. But the shape of public administration in Bangladesh is about to take inverted pyramid due to giving mass promotion. Many have been given promotion though there were no vacancies. As a result efficiency in the administration has decreased and with it chaos has developed.
Speaking in favour issuing of DO letters, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque said it is not compulsory to consider the demi official letters. But surely he would acknowledge that this creates an added pressure on the concerned ministry and SSB. The competent officials are supposed to get promotion on their own account. They do nt need any lobbying for this. Only those who lacks confidence and competency get involved in lobbying.
We hope the government officials will get promotion based on their and competence and that the cabinet members and MPs refrain from sending any such DO letters.