Two months into its tenure, Bangladesh's interim government is encountering increasing scrutiny over delays in appointing key administrative officials. With seven secretaries still unappointed in various ministries and divisions, and a lack of deputy commissioners (DCs) in eight districts, the ramifications for governance and public administration are becoming increasingly pronounced. The void in leadership positions raises concerns about the capacity of the government to effectively implement policies and deliver services. Files circulating among civil service officials reveal a backlog of denied promotions and appointments during the previous government, which has fostered discontent among both deprived personnel and those who have recently secured promotions. The Ministry of Public Administration has shown little urgency in addressing these vacancies. The slow pace of selection and appointment for qualified officials in crucial roles has left many civil servants frustrated. Chaos over DC appointments: Committee recommends action against 17 deputy secretaries Currently, there are seven vacant secretary positions across various ministries and divisions. Despite the long wait, only three officials have been elevated to the rank of secretary. Many who were promoted to additional secretary have since retired without receiving a posting, contributing to a backlog that hampers effective governance. Among the 133 individuals promoted as joint secretaries, a mere 65 have been allocated to various ministries, while 45 remain in their previous roles. This stagnation has left additional secretaries unable to make necessary policy decisions, further complicating the governance landscape. The files for the postings of deprived personnel are reportedly circulating without action, indicating a significant delay in moving forward with appointments. Read: Experts suggest quick reforms in recruitment for transparency in administration The failure to appoint DCs is particularly concerning, as eight districts currently operate without leadership. Following a brief attempt to appoint new officials as DCs on September 10, those appointments were abruptly cancelled just a day later. This leaves the districts of Rajshahi, Natore, Joypurhat, Sirajganj, Kushtia, Rajbari, Shariatpur, and Dinajpur without any appointed officials, causing a vacuum in local governance. Although additional deputy commissioners (ADCs) continue to manage routine functions, the absence of formal leadership severely limits their effectiveness. Dr Anwar Ullah, President of the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association and Secretary of the Statistics and Information Management Division, addressed the situation, emphasising the need for suitable postings for deprived officials. “I am not saying that everyone must become a secretary,” he stated. “Besides the position of secretary, there is no barrier to becoming the DG of various departments, chairman of authorities, or divisional commissioners.” His comments reflect the frustrations felt among many civil servants who are eagerly awaiting appropriate placements. Calls for swift action are mounting from various quarters, as the administrative delays have left many qualified individuals in limbo. ABM Abdus Sattar, a former joint secretary and convener of the Anti-Discrimination Employees Unity Forum, criticised the ongoing procrastination in appointing qualified personnel. “Even after two months of the interim government, it still has not been able to appoint secretaries in two ministries and five divisions, DCs in eight districts,” he remarked. Sattar further noted that, despite the promotion of some officials, delays persist in their postings, causing significant frustration among civil servants. Read more: Interim Govt's success hinges on eradicating 'ghost of fascism' from administration: Fakhrul  “Files regarding the postings of deprived officials are being stuck at every level,” he added. “Among them, the deprived in the administration are suffering from deprivation.” His comments underscore the widespread discontent among civil servants, many of whom feel sidelined in the current administrative reshuffle. Dr Mohammad Mokhles-ur Rahman, senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, attempted to reassure stakeholders by stating that appointments would be expedited for the vacant positions of secretaries and DCs. “We are proceeding with the appointments in a thoughtful manner to avoid any questions,” he explained. He also expressed a commitment to prioritising the postings of deprived officials according to their qualifications. The ongoing situation reflects broader issues within the interim government's administrative framework, particularly as it seeks to navigate the transition from the previous administration. The Ministries of Shipping, and Cultural Affairs are among those lacking secretaries, while crucial divisions such as the Planning Division, Financial Institutions Division, Security Services Division, and Local Government Division also remain without leadership. The lack of a cohesive strategy to fill these vacancies poses challenges for effective governance at both the national and local levels. The eight districts without DCs are particularly vulnerable, as the ADCs struggle to maintain operations in the absence of formal leadership. The ongoing administrative void raises questions about the ability of the interim government to restore stability and deliver essential services to the public, analysts say. As the interim government continues its efforts to stabilise and reorganise the administrative framework, the pressure mounts to fill these vacancies and restore confidence among civil servants and the public alike. The next steps taken by the Ministry of Public Administration will be critical in determining the trajectory of governance and service delivery in Bangladesh, as well as the morale of a workforce eagerly awaiting recognition and rightful placement in the evolving administrative landscape.

Deputy Secretary AKM Rezaul Karim, former director of Jatiya Grantha Kendra, has been sent on compulsory retirement as he was found guilty in a rape case. Public Administration issued a notification signed by its senior secretary Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury in this regard on Wednesday. Read more: Another police officer sent on compulsory retirement The order will come into effect immediately in public interest, the notification said. A chargesheet was submitted against Rezaul in a case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 while he was director of the Grantha Kendra. On June 25 in 2019, he was suspended. He later threatened the plaintiff to withdraw the case and another case was filed over threat and physical torture, said the notification. The Public Administration Ministry initiated a departmental investigation against him and a show cause notice was served on him. Read more: Officials sent on retirement for lack of skills, patriotism: Home Minister However, the Investigative Officer did not receive a satisfactory reply to the show cause notice. The ministry later sought opinion of the Public Service Commission and the commission agreed on sending him on compulsory retirement. President Abdul Hamid later approved decision, reads the notification.

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain on Monday said that further decision on extending the ongoing restriction on public movement and other activities will be taken after observing the Covid-19 situation for a week. He was talking to reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday. Replying to a question about extending the restriction on public movement, Farhad said, “Further decision for imposing restriction on public movement will be taken after considering the Covid situation as people infected with the new variant of Covid-19, Omicron, recover in a short period of time and the recovery rate is also good.” “More than 85% people, infected with Covid-19, are taking treatment at their respective homes and we definitely will observe the Covid situation for one week to issue next directives,” he said. READ: Lockdown will return if Covid restrictions violated: Health Minister Following the impact of Omicron, the country is now experiencing the third wave of Covid and the infection rate is increasing day by day, he said adding “Our main objective is to ensure use of masks by all as the experts have hinted that the Covid infection rate is likely to increase in mid-February.” He also urged all to remain aware of it and to tackle the third wave of Covid following health guidelines. Asking about flouting of health guidelines on public transport, he said “All must abide by the directives of the government for their own good.” He also urged those involved in public transport sector to provide their assistance by following the directives and rules of the government. Farhad also asked to conduct mobile court drives to force people to follow health guidelines. “Prior notice will be given before conducting mobile court drives.” In light of the latest surge in Covid-19 cases across the country, the government on January 21 imposed some restrictions on the overall activities and movement of people in the country. The Cabinet Division issued a notification in this regard. READ: Covid restrictions maybe to stop BNP rallies: Rizvi According to the notice, all the schools, colleges and universities of the country will remain closed from January 21 to February 6. The government has also prohibited the gathering of 100 people for any political, social or religious programmes. Those who will attend such programmes will need to have Covid-19 vaccine certificates and RT-PCR test conducted, says the notification. It said all the government, non-government offices and factories have been asked to make sure that all the staff and officers carrying Covid-19 vaccine cards. The notification asked all to wear masks and maintain health rules at public places like markets, shopping malls, mosques, bus stands, launch terminals, railway stations. The local administration and law enforcement agencies have been instructed to monitor and ensure compliance.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday stressed the importance of good governance and asked the government officials to devote themselves to serving people to make this society a better place. “I hope you’ll devote yourselves to serving people remaining faithful to the constitutional responsibilities,” she said. The Prime Minister was addressing the certificate-giving and closing ceremony of the 119th and 120th Law and Administration Training Courses at Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy in the capital through a videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban. As per the 7th article of the Constitution, Hasina mentioned,  people are the owners of the country while the 21(2) article of the constitution stated that government employees are bound to serve  people round the clock. Read: Slow progress in Kushtia medical college project: PM orders action She directed the public servants to take innovative initiatives to serve people as the government has prepared a Perspective Plan and is implementing it. “We’ve already attained the status of a developing nation and we’ve to maintain that so that we do not fall behind.” Hasina said it is the desire of all that there will be a service-oriented administration in the country which will innovate new services to serve people. “Stay involved in establishing good governance through proper enforcement of laws, stay beside people, and make sure people get justice and not a single person suffers from starvation, remains homeless, is deprived of treatment and education. Discharge your responsibilities keeping eyes on these issues, we want that,” she said. Talking about the food scarcity in the Covid-19 pandemic across the globe, the Prime Minister said the food scarcity has increased around the world and many countries are suffering from this. “Not a single inch of arable land be left behind from cultivation.” Read: EC to be constituted through search committee: PM Hasina said every piece of land in every area of the country must be put under cultivation to increase production and mentioned that many developed countries are in deplorable condition regarding food production. “We may have to provide food assistance to many developed countries, maybe. Keeping this view in mind, we’ve to make sure there’s no scarcity of food and protein in the country.” Hasina asked all concerned to add more food and processed food items to the country’s export basket. She said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman devoted his entire life towards changing the fate of people as they were poor and destitute. “So, you’ll have to think about them (people) and work to change their fortune.” The government wants to build Bangladesh as a hunger- and poverty-free non-communal country where everyone will live with dignity, she added. Hasina said the government wants to develop government employees suitable for keeping the pace of the world to develop the country further. She asked the trained officers to utilise their knowledge acquired in the training course for the development of the country. Read: PM greets Chinese leaders on founding anniversary, hopes stronger cooperation Presided over by State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, the function was addressed, among others, by Public Administration senior Secretary KM Ali Azam and Rector of the BCS Administration Mominur Rashid Amin. On behalf of the Prime Minister, Farhad Hossain handed over the awards to the best performers of the 119th and 120th training courses respectively. Two fresh officers and rector award winners -- Swikriti Pramanik of the 119th course and Umme Salma Naznin Tosha of the 120th course -- spoke at the function on behalf of the participants of the training course. A video documentary on Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy was played at the programme.

The government has reappointed Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam as the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) for two more years.

The government has appointed new deputy commissioners (DCs) to 11 districts including Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar.

In the latest reshuffle in the public administration, a total of 123 government officials were promoted as joint secretaries.

Two secretaries were promoted to senior secretary posts on Monday.

The High Court on Wednesday ruled that no government official can be kept as an officer on special duty (OSD) for more than 150 days.