In the aftermath of the July 2024 uprising that toppled the previous government, Bangladesh’s bureaucracy is now gripped by intense internal rivalries, with officials competing for power and influence in what some insiders describe as a form of ‘anarchy’.
The infighting has raised serious concerns about governance, administrative discipline and the interim government’s capacity to deliver on its reform promises, they said.
Referring to a recent incident that happened during the appointment of a Deputy Commissioner (DC) when a scuffle broke out, an official told UNB that an undeclared cold war between bureaucrats aligned with the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are going on over key secretary-level postings.
Despite the political transition, meaningful administrative reform has yet to materialise. Many former senior officials say factionalism, inefficiency and self-interest within the civil service have only worsened since the uprising.
Restoring discipline in the bureaucracy now stands as one of the interim government’s most pressing challenges, said another official.
There are ministries and departments, officials said, are operating without appointed secretaries. “This is really worrying,” said the official wishing anonymity.
He said the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, the Department of Health, Education and Family Welfare, the Planning Department, the Rural Development and Cooperatives Department and the Road Transport and Highways Department, have no appointed secretaries.
Senior or additional secretaries, according to him, are overseeing these portfolios on an acting basis as they have been advised, causing a marked slowdown in policymaking, project approvals, and public service delivery.
He said senior leaders of a political party have visited the Secretariat and held meetings with the Cabinet Secretary and this has raised fresh questions about the neutrality of the civil service. This is the outcome of the interim government’s indecision, growing partisan influence within the bureaucracy, and a lack of coordination between administrative tiers,” he pointed out.
Allegations have also surfaced regarding irregularities and financial transactions in the appointment of DCs and the reinstatement of controversial officials, particularly involving the Public Administration Secretary. The government, however, insists that internal probes have not substantiated any wrongdoing.
Former Additional Secretary Md Firoz Mia told UNB that even a year after the uprising, administrative order has not been restored.
He warned of a growing culture of irregularities, corruption and negligence, which he blamed on political interference and entrenched factionalism. “Several ministries have been operating for months without secretaries, while qualified and impartial officers are overlooked. This clearly reflects administrative failure and dysfunction,” he said.
Other former officials echoed similar concerns, noting that a ‘competition to seize the chair’, reminiscent of illegal land grabs, has taken hold within the bureaucracy.
They argued that despite political changes, old loyalties, incompetence and vested interests continue to undermine the functioning of the state machinery.