Even after six months of the interim government taking office, there has been little progress in public administration. Much like during the previous government, the administration is still burdened by an oversized top-heavy structure (where there is excess personnel at the senior level and shortages in lower-level positions), heavy reliance on older bureaucrats, an abundance of contractual appointments, and a recruitment process heavily based on recommendations. The commission formed to reform public administration recently submitted its final recommendations and report to the interim government. However, there are still many questions about how much of these recommendations will actually be implemented.
Analysts say that public administration has accumulated various problems and crises over a long period, and resolving these will take time. These issues can potentially be resolved through the implementation of the Public Administration Reform Commission’s proposals. At the same time, there is a strong need for a change in the culture of bureaucracy, practices, and the mindset of those involved.
The government has 43 ministries and 61 departments. Following the previous government’s model, these ministries and departments are still being run with a top-heavy administrative structure. Currently, there are 90 Grade-1 positions in these ministries and departments, which include posts such as Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary, Senior Secretary, Secretary, and Chairperson and Directors-General of various departments, boards, corporations, and institutes. According to the most recent update, 93 officials are currently in Grade-1 positions. Additionally, there are 127 Grade-2 positions, which include Additional Secretaries and equivalent officials. A total of 422 officials are currently appointed, despite only 127 positions approved. For 376 Grade-3 and Joint Secretary-level positions, 821 officials are currently assigned.
The previous government’s widespread use of contractual appointments at the top of several important ministries has been a subject of significant criticism. Even after the interim government took office, this trend of contractual appointments has continued. Presently, 76 individuals hold the position of Secretary in the administration, with 15 of them serving on a contractual basis. Notably, contractual officials are still managing the top posts in key ministries such as the Cabinet, Chief Secretary, Home Affairs, and Public Administration.
Dr. Sadik Hasan, Professor of Public Administration at Dhaka University, sees political consensus as the solution to the problems within public administration. He told Bonik Barta, “There’s only one way to resolve the crisis in bureaucracy. That is through political consensus. Without political will, it’s impossible to overcome these issues. In 1973, the first Public Administration Reform Commission was formed under the leadership of former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Muzaffar Ahmed Choudhury. He had set up an administrative structure focused on public service and made several recommendations, but that report was not published because it was classified, and none of the suggestions were implemented. Since then, several commissions have been formed, and the recommendations of the 1973 commission have surfaced again. Bureaucrats follow a policy of bureaucratic self-preservation. They all act the same way. Therefore, the prerequisite to fixing public administration is to address these issues on the basis of political consensus.”
Even after the interim government took office, reliance on older bureaucrats has continued. The 82 batch of the administrative cadre has long been a controversial topic. A large portion of this batch led public administration during the previous government. However, after the interim government came to power, officials from this batch who had been left out were appointed on a contractual basis, and they are now leading the administration. The current Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Sheikh Abdur Rashid; Chief Secretary to the Chief Adviser, M Siraj Uddin Mia; Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Md Ehsanul Haque; Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dr. Nasimul Gani; and Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Dr. Md Mokhlesur Rahman, are all from the 82 batch of the administrative cadre.
When asked about the existing problems within public administration, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and head of the ACC Reform Commission, told Bonik Barta, “The Public Administration Reform Commission has made several important proposals. If these are implemented, we hope the current problems in public administration will be resolved. However, it won’t happen quickly; this is a long process. These problems have been building up for years. No matter how many reforms are introduced, if there is no change in the mentality, culture, or practices of those involved in bureaucracy, there will be no benefit.”
During the previous government’s tenure, political loyalty and favoritism played a significant role in senior appointments. This trend has continued under the interim government. Recently, there has been controversy regarding the appointment of Md Abdur Rashid Mia as Chief Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). He was previously working as the Additional Chief Engineer of LGED’s Human Resources Development, Quality Control, and Environmental Unit (Grade-3). His appointment, which skipped several grades, has drawn criticism. He was appointed through a notification issued by the Local Government Department (LGD) last Tuesday (February 4). There has also been controversy over the recommendation to appoint a chairman of a research institute as the Administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation.
Regarding solutions to the crisis in public administration, former Secretary of the Cabinet Division M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told Bonik Barta, “The Public Administration Commission has made more than a hundred recommendations. Rather than reviewing these recommendations in isolation, it would be more appropriate to consider them in a comprehensive manner. The reports from other reform commissions are significant. The recommendations of those commissions should be coordinated with those of the Public Administration Reform Commission. The recommendations that are adopted in an integrated manner will help resolve the crisis in public administration. The administration is part of the state structure. It cannot work in isolation. The government is attempting to reform the entire state framework, and attention should be given to implementing coordinated reform proposals based on consensus.”
Despite multiple attempts to contact Public Administration Secretary Dr. Md Mokhlesur Rahman for his comments, no response was received.