Six months after taking office, the BNP government is still struggling to find trusted and capable officials for senior posts in the administration. Many career officials held key positions under the previous Awami League government, making the government wary of drawing from that pool.

The government is now appointing retired officials — who served during the BNP’s previous term — on a contractual basis to senior posts in the Cabinet Division, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Of the 79 officials now holding secretary or equivalent posts, 23 are appointed on contractual basis, about 29 percent all officials.

Multiple senior government officials said reshuffles were continuing across departments as part of a broader administrative reorganisation. But finding officers who are both qualified and trusted remains difficult.

For secretary-level posts in ministries and divisions, the government prepares shortlists before making appointments. Many officers have unsatisfactory annual confidential reports (ACRs), prompting the top level of government to withhold approval. Those with strong ACRs often lack the experience required for the posts.

“After the Awami League fell, a section of officials is trying to present itself indirectly as pro-BNP. Another section claims it faced the previous government’s wrath,” a senior secretary told Bonik Barta on condition of anonymity. “But the government is assessing these matters very cautiously. It knows what each officer’s record is like. So it is conducting the selection process with great caution.”

Ismail Jabiullah, the prime minister’s adviser on public administration, recently said many officials loyal to the now-banned Awami League remained in the administration. Speaking at an event at the Prime Minister’s Office marking the government’s first 180 days, he said: “Some people loyal to the previous government are still in the administration. We have tried to identify them in their respective places and purge those posts, and that effort is continuing.”

The government on Friday reshuffled three secretary-rank officials, all of them serving on contractual basis.

Rafiqul I Mohammad was appointed secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, only 11 days after he was transferred from the agriculture ministry to the Public Division of the President’s Office. Md Showkat Rashid Chowdhury, secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, was transferred to the Land Reforms Board as its chairman. AJM Salahuddin Nagari, who had been chairman of the board, was appointed secretary of the President’s Office’s Public Division.

The moves followed another round of changes on August 10, when the government replaced the secretaries of the agriculture ministry and the Public Division of the President’s Office. Rafiqul I Mohammad, then agriculture secretary on contract, was moved to the Public Division on a contractual basis. Additional Secretary Md Selim Khan was promoted to secretary and posted to the agriculture ministry.

In a separate notification that day, Khan Md Nurul Amin, secretary of the Public Division, was attached to the public administration ministry.

The government also removed the Rajshahi divisional commissioner and the deputy commissioners of Natore, Gaibandha and Rangpur on the night of August 18.

Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Dr ANM Bazlur Rashid, Natore Deputy Commissioner Asma Shahin, Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Masudur Rahman Mollah and Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ruhul Amin were attached to the public administration ministry pending further posting.

According to public administration ministry’s data, 79 officials currently hold senior secretary, secretary or equivalent posts, with 23 of them serving on contractual basis. The two-year contracts of Cabinet Secretary Dr Nasimul Ghani and Senior Secretary Md Ehsanul Hoque of the public admin ministry expired on August 16 and 17 respectively. The government reappointed both on a contractual basis on August 17.

Officials serving on contract now occupy senior secretary and secretary posts across several key offices. They include ABM Abdus Sattar, principal secretary to the prime minister; Akhter Ahmed, senior secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat; ASM Saleh Ahmed, senior secretary of the land ministry; Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, senior secretary of the home affairs ministry; Dr Md Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, member (senior secretary) of the Planning Commission; Md Quamruzzaman Chowdhury, secretary of the Health Services Division; Abdun Naser Khan, secretary of the industries ministry; Md Delwar Hossain, secretary of the fisheries and livestock ministry; and Munshi Alauddin Al Azad, secretary of the religious affairs ministry.

Officials with contractual appointments also hold secretary-rank posts at the Textile Directorate, Land Appeal Board, Land Reforms Board, National River Conservation Commission, Department of Bangladesh Haor and Wetlands Development, Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, Community Clinic Health Support Trust and the Waqf Administrator’s office.

Political loyalty became a key consideration in postings and promotions at different levels of the administration during Sheikh Hasina’s long rule, according to people familiar with the matter. As policymaking and implementation became increasingly centralised, changing that structure and culture has become a major challenge for the current government.

The government now grapples with overhauling the administration while retaining enough experienced officials to keep state functions and public services running.

“The previous Awami League government had completely politicised the bureaucracy. It devalued merit, and we have clearly seen the effects,” State Minister for Public Administration Md Abdul Bari told Bonik Barta. “The interim government tried to change this, but breaking such long-entrenched inertia is a major challenge.”

The state minister added: “An ineffective and broken administrative system is now being rebuilt. Many accused officials have already been sent into retirement. Capable and efficient officials are being appointed. The current government is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in every sphere of government. We are shaping the public administration in line with our election manifesto.”

A broad overhaul of the public administration began after the July 2024 mass uprising. The interim government, after taking office on August 8, 2024, made many secretaries and senior officials who had held important posts under the ousted Awami League government officers on special duty (OSDs) and forced many into retirement.

The former interim government also began appointing new officials to key posts and bringing retired officers back on contract. That trend is still continuing. Over the past two years, there have been several rounds of major changes involving secretaries, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and heads of various agencies.

Former Secretary AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder, a former rector of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre, said the government needed to strike a balance between regular and contractual appointments.

He told Bonik Barta: “Many capable and qualified officers, though long deprived or overlooked, later get a chance to be reassessed through contractual appointments. At the same time, officers already serving in the administration also have to be considered. So a balanced decision is needed overall. This whole process can’t be changed in a day; it’s an administrative reality that must be built gradually over time.”