United News of Bangladesh

The government of Bangladesh has once again extended the magistracy power of commissioned officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force until February 28, 2026, with effect from November 12 (Wednesday). The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification to this effect on Tuesday (November 11). Read more: Armed forces' magistracy powers extended by 60 days According to the notification, commissioned officers holding the rank of captain and above in the Bangladesh Armed Forces have been granted special executive magistrate powers across the country. Army officers serving on deputation in the Coast Guard and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have also been vested with the same authority. The interim government initially granted the magistracy power to commissioned army officers on September 17 last year for 60 days to improve law and order. It was subsequently extended on January 12, March 13, May 13 and July 13 this year. Read more: Govt vows to protect interfaith unity, communal harmony

With the national election drawing near, the government of Bangladesh has appointed new deputy commissioners (DCs) in 15 districts, including Dhaka, Khulna, and Bogura, transferring seven incumbents and assigning eight new officials to the posts. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification late Saturday night (8th November 2025) announcing the reshuffle. According to the order, Bagerhat DC Ahmed Kamrul Hasan has been transferred to Noakhali, Kushtia DC Abu Hasnat Mohammad Arefin to Habiganj, Bhola DC Md Azad Zahan to Gazipur, Barguna DC Mohammad Shafiul Alam to Dhaka, and Sirajganj DC Muhammad Nazrul Islam to Gaibandha. Chief Executive Officer of Sylhet Zilla Parishad Sandeep Kumar Singh has been made DC of Barguna, while Khulna DC Md Tawfiqur Rahman has been transferred to Bogura. Ctg, Narsingdi, Naogaon get new DCs ahead of election Meanwhile, BADC Secretary Md Aminul Islam has been appointed DC of Sirajganj, Commerce Adviser’s Personal Secretary Md Abdullah Al Mahmud as DC of Magura, Home Ministry Deputy Secretary Abu Sayeed as DC of Pirojpur, and Zonal Settlement Officer Afroza Akhter as DC of Satkhira. Feni’s Local Government Deputy Director Golam Md Baten has been appointed DC of Bagerhat, while Personal Secretary to the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant on Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Affairs ASM Jamshed Khondaker, RAJUK Deputy Director Md Iqbal Hossain, and Cabinet Division Deputy Secretary Dr Shamim Rahman have been made DCs of Khulna, Kushtia, and Bhola respectively. Read more: New DCs appointed in C’nawabganj, Feni, and Madaripur

The government is set to appoint new deputy commissioners (DCs) in all districts ahead of the upcoming national election to hold it in a credible manner. Sources at the Ministry of Public Administration said the appointments of new DCs are expected to be finalised within September as the national election is scheduled to be held in February 2026. Amid criticisms over appointing officials who benefited during the Awami League’s tenure as DCs, the government is now exercising greater caution in making such postings, sources said. Like the previous years, the DCs are expected to be appointed again as returning officers during upcoming parliamentary elections. The preparation of the new ‘fit list’ is already at its final stage. According to the sources at the Ministry of Public Administration, this time no controversial official or those who have political affiliation will be made a DC. If anyone secures a DC appointment through deception or concealing information, administrative action will be taken against him or her once verified. On August 18, Md Sarwar Alam, a well-known executive magistrate for his strict action against food adulteration and irregularities, was appointed DC of Sylhet. The change came amid much-talked-about allegations of large-scale stone looting from Bholaganj, Jaflong and other areas of Sylhet. The ministry started preparing the ‘fit list’ on January 11 this year. As part of the process, interviews were held in six phases with 269 deputy secretaries from the 25th and 27th batches of the BCS Administration Cadre. Local administration involved in Bholaganj stone looting: Rizwana Hasan Over 50 officers have been included in the fit list so far and viva voce for officers of the 28th batch are underway, according to the Public Administration Ministry. Currently, 26 officers of the 24th batch, 25 officers of the 25th batch and 12 officers of the 27th batch are serving as DCs. Although 21 officers of the 24th batch were promoted to joint secretary on March 20 they have not yet been withdrawn from field administration. Earlier, on September 8, 2023, DC appointments were made in 61 districts from a fit list of 108 officers, sparking huge controversy. Many officers claimed they were ‘deprived,’ and created unprecedented disorder in the ministry. Md Erfanul Haque, Additional Secretary (Appointments, Promotions & Transfers) of the Ministry of Public Administration, said, “The DC appointment process is underway. The Public Administration Committee will decide the timeline but we expect the appointments to be made soon.” Senior Secretary Dr Mokhles-ur Rahman said, “The DCs will be appointed from the fit list. Qualified and competent officers will be placed ahead of the election to avoid any question of credibility.” Former secretary and administrative expert AKM Abdul Awal Majumdar said, “Interim governments (caretaker governments) in 1991, 1996, and 2001 did not face such disorder. The current administrative weaknesses must be addressed quickly. Governance is impossible without an honest, skilled and professional bureaucracy. There is still time to restore the administration by appointing capable officers in key positions.” According to the Public Administration Ministry, a ‘Public Administration Committee’ comprising four advisers, the Cabinet Secretary, and the Secretary of Public Administration has been formed to provide guidance on appointments, transfers, and disciplinary matters for divisional commissioners, DCs, joint secretaries and higher positions. This committee makes the final decisions on DC appointments and other matters. Govt to fast-track implementation of ‘Administrative Reform’ proposals In February, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin instructed the DCs of all 64 districts to apply the full extent of the law in their roles as returning officers in the upcoming national election, according to official sources who preferred to remain anonymous. The interim government has already taken action against the government officials who played key roles in the engineered elections during the previous Awami League regime. This year the government has sent 21 former DCs into compulsory retirement due to their roles in the controversial elections as they had served as returning officers in the general elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024 which are widely criticised for fraudulence. Besides, 43 former DCs were made officers on special duty (OSD). Those with less than 25 years of service experience were made OSD while those who have served for more than 25 years were sent on compulsory retirement.

The government has once again extended the magistracy power of commissioned officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force by another 60 days with effect from May 14. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification to this effect on Thursday. According to the notification, commissioned officers holding the rank of captain and above in the Bangladesh Armed Forces have been granted special executive magistrate powers across the country. Armed forces' magistracy powers extended for 60 days Military officers serving on deputation in the Coast Guard and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have also been vested with the same authority. The interim government initially granted the magistracy power to commissioned army officers on September 17 last year for 60 days to improve law and order.  It was subsequently extended on January 12 and March 13 this year.

Seven additional secretaries have been promoted to the rank of secretary. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification in this regard on Tuesday. The newly elevated secretaries have been posted to the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the Statistics and Informatics Division, the National Parliament Secretariat, the Cabinet Division, the Bridge Division and the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division. Among them, Mahbubur Rahman, Additional Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Division, has been appointed as Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, while Kamal Uddin, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, has been appointed as Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Zaheda Parveen, Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division, has been promoted to Secretary (Coordination and Reform) in the same division. Aleya Akhter, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, has been appointed as Secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division. Besides, Md Tajul Islam, Chairman (Grade-1) of the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), has been appointed as Secretary of the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division. Md Mizanur Rahman, Registrar of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, has been appointed as Secretary of the National Parliament Secretariat. Action to be taken against negligence by law enforcers, warns Home Adviser Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Additional Project Director (Additional Secretary) of the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project, has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Bridge Division.

Shafiqul Alam, the Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, has been granted the status of Senior Secretary. A notification in this regard was issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on Tuesday (February 18). The notification stated that during his tenure as the Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, he has been accorded the rank of Senior Secretary. Govt enters second phase as national consensus talks begin: Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, a senior journalist who was head of AFP in Dhaka, was appointed as the Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser on August 13 last year, following the fall of the Awami League government due to a mass uprising on August 5. At that time, he was granted the rank of Secretary.

The Ministry of Public Administration has issued instructions to take action against government employees posting on social media without adhering to established guidelines. A letter was sent to secretaries, senior secretaries, divisional commissioners, and district administrators on Thursday instructing them to take immediate steps against employees violating social media protocols. ACC seeks info on dual citizenship of govt employees The letter said certain government officials are using social media to post status updates that not only undermine the government’s image but may also jeopardise national security. In its communication, the Ministry pointed out that a number of employees have been disregarding the “Social Media Usage Guidelines for Government Institutions, 2019.” These employees have been sharing documents and posting content that embarrasses the government or creates unnecessary controversy, which goes against the service rules for government personnel. Govt employees to receive dearness allowance The Ministry’s warning said that such behavior is both a breach of the official code of conduct and, in some cases, could be deemed harmful to national security. The Ministry’s guidelines clearly state that employees must refrain from engaging in conduct that is detrimental to the government or violates the code of ethics for public servants. Such actions can be categorized as misconduct under the 'Government Employee Discipline and Appeal Rules, 2018.' Govt employees must submit wealth statement by November 30: Senior Secretary To address these concerns, the Ministry has urged relevant authorities to take necessary actions in line with established regulations. The letter stressed the importance of vigilant monitoring and adherence to the social media usage guidelines, with strict consequences for violations.

The Ministry of Public Administration will hold a meeting for the reconsideration of the applications of 227 candidates who were excluded from the 43rd BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) examination. The meeting will be held on February 9 at 11:30 am chaired by the Senior Secretary of the Ministry Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman. The Ministry issued a notice regarding the meeting on Sunday. According to the notice, among 2,163 candidates recommended by the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) for the 43rd BCS, notification for the appointment of 1,896 candidates was issued. However, due to adverse remarks in intelligence reports, notification for appointing 227 candidates was withheld. Ministry to reconsider applications of excluded 43rd BCS candidates On January 2, the ministry announced that it is now accepting applications for reconsideration from candidates excluded from the 43rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) recruitment process.  

A group of retired government officials who were reportedly deprived of promotion and service benefits during the Awami League government staged sit-in at the secretariat demanding a committee's recommendations for their promotion. Around 50 to 60 deprived officials gathered in front of the office of Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md. Mokhles Ur Rahman around 10:30am. The officials got agitated when the Public Administration Secretary stepped out of his office around 11:30 am to calm the situation. 1,919 doctors who passed 42nd BSC demand immediate appointment They expressed their frustration loudly with some even demanding the resignation of the Public Administration Secretary. Mokhles UR Rahman  said he has not received any filed from the Chief Adviser’s office yet regarding the promotion of the deprived officials. He assured them that once the file reached he would process it promptly. Despite his explanation, the protesting officials remained unconvinced and continued their demonstration. The Public Administration Secretary then returned to his office but the protestors declared that they would remain outside the office until an official notification regarding their promotion was issued. Govt employees to receive dearness allowance On December 10, the committee reviewing the applications of retired officials reportedly deprived of promotion submitted its report to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus. The committee, headed by former Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan, recommended the promotion of 764 officials to the ranks of Deputy Secretary, Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, and Secretary.

The Ministry of Public Administration on Thursday issued a notification regarding the review of applications from officers who were deprived or retired between 2009 and August 4, 2024. This follows the decision of a government-formed committee tasked with reviewing such cases and providing necessary recommendations. The ministry invites all officers, excluding BCS admin — who were retired from working in the 3rd grade or above in other cadres (for which the Superior Selection Board’s recommendation is required for promotions) during the specified period, who wish to get redress through this committee — to submit written applications. Deadline for 47th BCS online application revised These applications should state the type and reason for deprivation and must be sent to the Senior Secretary/Secretary of the relevant controlling Ministry/Department by December 23, 2024. To expedite the committee's work, officers are requested to fill out a form in this regard and provide a copy of their personal PDS when submitting their applications to the concerned ministry/department, the notification said.