Mass promotion: Politically driven ahead of polls?

Ahead of the upcoming general election, officials in various departments, such as public administration, the police, and the Election Commission, are being promoted on a large scale, with many obtaining "in-situ" promotions. Former bureaucrats and experts have called this "political promotion."

They say the government is trying to appease officials by granting these mass promotions. This will increase salary and allowance costs, which is inconsistent with the government's austerity policy.

An "in-situ" promotion means an official continues to hold the same office and perform the same duties even after being promoted to a higher position.

On Sunday, the home ministry promoted 46 assistant superintendents of police to the position of additional superintendents of police. 

Earlier on 7 November, the ministry promoted 150 officials as supernumerary superintendents of police, 27 as superintendents of police, 140 as supernumerary additional deputy inspector general, and 12 as additional deputy inspector general.

A supernumerary post is created for a limited period to accommodate a government employee with retrospective effect when no regular post is available.

According to police officials, at least 84 others are in the process of being promoted to the positions of deputy inspector general and additional inspector general. Notifications for these promotions may be issued later this week.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, a weekly holiday, the public administration ministry promoted 240 officials from senior assistant secretary to deputy secretary.

On 4 September, the ministry promoted 221 deputy secretaries to the post of joint secretary. In May, 114 joint secretaries were promoted to additional secretaries. The majority of these promoted officers are retained in their previous positions, a practice known as "in-situ" promotion.

According to information available on the website of the Public Administration Ministry as of 12 November, there are currently 82 senior secretaries and secretaries. There are 373 additional secretaries among the 337 available posts. 

There are 502 posts for joint secretary. In contrast, there are 934 joint secretaries. Similarly, there are 1,090 regular posts of deputy secretary, but the number of deputy secretaries is 1,718.

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain and Senior Secretary Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury of the same ministry could not be reached for comments. Text messages were sent to their cell phones, but they did not respond immediately to the requests.

On 29 August, the Election Commission promoted 33 officials to various posts. The commission has asserted that the promotion of long-vacant positions is in line with requirements and is unrelated to the upcoming elections.

Besides, since last July, the Ministry of Public Administration has promoted at least five officials to the position of secretary and seven officials to Grade-1. 

Over 100 officials have been promoted in the last four months across various government departments. On 7 November, the ministry promoted 31 officials to the position of assistant secretary (non-cadre).

These promotions have led to a significant increase in the number of high-level public officials, while the number of mid-level officials, such as assistant secretaries and deputy secretaries, has remained relatively low. 

This imbalance in public administration has raised concerns among officials, who worry that it could lead to complications in their work, as there are now more high-level officials than there are positions they can fill.

The EC will announce the schedule for the 12th parliamentary elections this week, according to Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman. Voting is likely to take place in the first week of January 2024. 

Promotions are typically not granted after the election schedule is announced, so the interim government will begin its operations immediately following the announcement.

Former police chief AKM Shahidul Haque told The Business Standard that many officers have been in the same position for a long time, even though they are qualified for a promotion. This has caused frustration among them, as they are not being promoted on time. In this situation, the promotion of officers from various departments, including the police, has been recommended.

"On the other hand, the election is nearing, and the government does not want to create any discontent among the officials before the polls," he added.

When asked why promotions are being granted even when there are no positions available, AKM Shahidul Haque said that the promotion rules allow for supernumerary promotions. "Therefore, it is not a violation of the rules. However, such promotions should not be excessive."

Ahsan H Mansur, executive director at the Policy Research Institute, told TBS, "The government aims to appease all parties, which is why promotions are being granted even when there are no corresponding positions. In this scenario, the cost is not a primary consideration; rather, elections take precedence."

The economist suggests that, in addition to administrative satisfaction, the government should also strive to achieve public satisfaction by addressing issues such as controlling inflation, stabilising the dollar market, and improving education and health services.

However, there are shortcomings.

A former cabinet secretary, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government is not able to ensure timely appointments.

Additionally, while attempting to appease the administration, it is offering more promotions than there are available posts, resulting in a lack of maintenance in the administrative structure. 

"These promotions are actually politically motivated," he added.  

He further commented, "Unnecessary promotions will not enhance the efficiency of the administration. On the contrary, it will increase the financial burden on the state exchequer. If the promoted individuals are assigned to lower posts without proper responsibilities, it will create an imbalance in the administration."

Despite many officers already working in their pre-promotion positions or in other departments, corporations, offices, and directorates outside the main administration, the government's recent promotions have further inflated the administrative structure.

In its 2008 election manifesto, the Awami League government promised to establish a non-partisan, non-political, and people-oriented administration, with all appointments and promotions made on the basis of merit and seniority. However, many believe that the government has failed to uphold this promise.

In 2018, even though there were no vacant positions, the government promoted officials in various sectors, including public administration and the police. Similar promotions are happening now, ahead of the upcoming elections.