More than half of the government’s over 1.46 million officials and employees are employed in five sectors. Primary education, police, health, family planning and railways — sectors directly linked to children’s development, public safety, healthcare, population management and transport services — employ around 760,000 government personnel. Despite having large workforces, all five sectors are plagued by structural weaknesses, management inefficiency and various shortcomings in service delivery. As the expected level of efficiency and accountability in public services has not been ensured despite substantial spending on personnel and other resources, analysts and ordinary citizens are questioning how effectively these departments are contributing to improvements in people’s quality of life.
More than 400,000 employees work in primary education, yet the quality of children’s basic education at this level has been declining for a long time. Questions have also been raised about teachers’ skills and qualifications in primary education, and weaknesses at the primary level are affecting the education system as a whole.
The police face allegations of professional incompetence, a lack of accountability and abuse of power. Despite the large workforce employed in the health sector, citizens continue to face difficulties in accessing healthcare. The family planning department, which plays a crucial role in population management, is facing major problems with service delivery and supplies. Meanwhile, despite substantial state investment and a large workforce, the railway sector continues to operate under the burden of persistent losses and management inefficiency.
Government service departments have yet to overcome allegations of poor-quality services, inefficiency, harassment, bribery and corruption, while salaries and allowances for government employees have recently been increased by more than double. In the fiscal year 2025–26 budget, the government allocated nearly BDT 1.61 trillion for salaries, allowances and pensions. Under the new pay structure, government expenditure on this sector is estimated to increase by around BDT 1.05 trillion, meaning the public will ultimately have to bear this additional expenditure. Against this backdrop, the effectiveness of public services delivered by government institutions plagued by structural weaknesses and inefficiency has become a major topic of discussion on social media and among analysts.
Those concerned say that simply increasing the workforce and salaries and allowances will not solve these problems. What is urgently needed is performance evaluation, merit-based recruitment and promotion and ensuring accountability. A professional administration free from political influence and digital management systems must also be ensured to improve the effectiveness of government spending and increase the likelihood of people receiving quality public services.
Over 1.46 million government employees were working in the country as of June 2025, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Public Administration and relevant departments. Of them, 397,631 were employed in primary education. According to the World Bank, Bangladesh currently has one of the largest primary education systems in the world. But analyses by the organisation and various education assessment reports show serious weaknesses in the system. Primary education is facing a major learning crisis, such as 51 percent of 10-year-old children cannot read and understand simple Bangla and English texts appropriate for their age, alongside failing to acquire grade-level mathematical skills.
According to those concerned, one of the key reasons behind students’ learning gaps is weak teaching methods and a shortage of skilled and trained teachers. While training at Primary Teachers’ Training Institutes (PTIs) is currently mandatory for government primary school teachers, around 100,000 government primary school teachers remain untrained, accounting for 25 percent of the total teaching workforce. Data from the National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE) show that, in many cases, teachers may have the necessary skills but are unable to apply them effectively in the classroom.
A research report published by NAPE this year found that teachers are lagging far behind in digital education and the application of 21st-century skills. Whereas around 60 percent of teachers consider themselves skilled, only one-quarter of them are actually able to demonstrate those skills in the classroom. The report, titled “Exploring Government Primary School Teachers’ Understanding and Implementation Challenges of the 21st Century Skills in Bangladesh”, was prepared by analysing data from more than 13,000 teachers in 16 upazilas across eight divisions.
Rasheda K Choudhury, former adviser to the caretaker government and executive director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), told Bonik Barta, “Increasing salaries for all teachers, including primary school teachers, has been a longstanding demand. Their salaries are set to increase under the new pay scale. But higher salaries don’t automatically mean better service quality. Ensuring accountability is essential for improving service quality. In particular, alongside increasing teachers’ salaries, improving the education quality requires proper training and ensuring that teachers apply those skills in the classroom. We need to monitor whether teachers are teaching properly in the classroom, while also providing them with necessary guidance if they make mistakes.”
She further said, “Following the salary increase, the income and expenditure accounts of government employees in all sectors should be disclosed and made publicly accessible.”
Asked for his comments, Prime Minister’s Adviser for Education and Primary and Mass Education Mahdi Amin told Bonik Barta, “Emphasis is being placed on teacher training and recruiting skilled teachers to ensure quality teaching. The education system was devastated as part of the long-term breakdown of the state structure. So the education system is being completely overhauled. A ‘One Teacher, One Tab’ programme is being launched so that teachers can conduct lessons using engaging content, including images, videos, documentaries, songs and music. Multimedia classrooms are also being built in schools.”
According to the available data, the Bangladesh Police has the second-largest number of government employees, with 220,500 members. In addition, 79,854 government employees work under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 36,936 under the Directorate General of Family Planning and 25,522 under Bangladesh Railway.
The Bangladesh Police had around 117,000 members in 2010, according to data from the Police Headquarters, while the number has now exceeded 220,000, meaning the force has grown by more than 133,000 members over the past 15 years. Several units have also been added during this period, including the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Tourist Police, Naval Police, Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Police. The force currently has more than 173,000 constables.
Housing, vehicles and other necessary facilities have not increased in line with the growth in manpower. Only 10 percent of police personnel have access to housing facilities, and the vehicle shortage stands at 6,160 compared with requirements, disrupting regular patrol operations at many police stations.
Successive governments have increased the size of the police force despite its infrastructural shortcomings. During the first year of the former interim government, a total of 15,851 new members were recruited into the force, whereas most of them were trainee recruit constables (TRCs). After taking office, the current government has announced plans to recruit another 14,000 police personnel.
Despite being one of the largest police forces in the world in terms of personnel, the Bangladesh Police lags in efficiency and professionalism. Bangladesh ranked 117th out of 163 countries in terms of internal security and the law-and-order situation, placing it fourth in South Asia, according to a 2026 report by the Australia-based think tank Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP).
According to the latest “World Internal Security & Police Index”, published jointly by the International Police Science Association and the IEP, the Bangladesh Police ranks 100th in the global policing effectiveness index, in which police forces in 125 countries were evaluated and ranked based on various indicators.
Human rights activist and chief adviser to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) Nur Khan Liton believes that simply increasing the number of police personnel will not improve the force’s capabilities or professionalism in service delivery. He told Bonik Barta, “The government is focusing only on increasing the number of police personnel instead of improving their skills and capabilities. Before making new recruitments, the government must identify and address shortages in vehicles, housing, equipment and other infrastructure. Recruiting additional personnel without adequate facilities could make their working environment even more challenging and make it difficult to ensure the expected level of service. Transparency and merit must be given the highest priority in the recruitment process.”
Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Qayyum also believes that alongside increasing the number of police personnel, it is important to expand housing and other facilities. He told Bonik Barta, “The number of police personnel was increased arbitrarily during the ousted Awami League government. Their housing facilities, however, were not expanded accordingly. Due to the lack of housing, police personnel working in Dhaka have to bear additional expenses. The problem is particularly acute for those living with their families. In such circumstances, it’s very difficult for ethical practices to be reflected among police personnel. To ensure ethical and professional services from the police, their housing facilities must be expanded.”
Bangladesh’s health sector, which ranks third in terms of workforce size, is also fragile. Complaints about access to quality healthcare, particularly at government hospitals, have persisted for years. Experts believe that inadequate infrastructure and equipment, along with poor workforce management, are largely responsible for the situation. Bangladesh’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index stands at just 54 out of 100, indicating a significant shortfall in coverage of essential health services, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2025, 41.7 percent of the country’s population, or around 70 million people, faced financial hardship because of medical expenses, as patients and their families are compelled to bear a large share of healthcare costs. There is also a serious shortage of access to treatment for critical illnesses.
Professor Dr Muzaherul Huq, former senior consultant to the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and former adviser on South-East Asia to the World Health Organization, told Bonik Barta, “A proper strategy and long-term planning are essential to address the workforce crisis in the health sector. Despite having around 200,000 health workers, the lack of strategic planning is hindering the sector’s development. There should be a 10-year ‘human resources development plan’ based on an assessment of population trends and disease patterns. If such a plan were in place, there would be no need for ad hoc recruitment.”
He further said, “Government and private medical colleges have been established indiscriminately, but many of them lack sufficient teachers, equipment and the necessary number of patients. Doctors with inadequate training are consequently being produced, while the quality of medical education and healthcare has fallen to an alarming level. Improving healthcare quality requires more than simply recruiting staff; greater emphasis must be placed on adequate teaching staff, hospital beds and modern equipment. Strict monitoring is particularly needed to improve the quality of education and training at private medical colleges. Similar well-planned measures are also essential for nurses and paramedics.”
A severe measles outbreak and prolonged shortages of family planning supplies have further exposed the weaknesses of the health system. Since the outbreak began in March this year, the number of suspected and confirmed measles cases had exceeded 180,000 by September 5, with the death toll approaching 1,000. The family planning programme has meanwhile been facing shortages of contraceptive supplies, a crisis that intensified during the tenure of the previous interim government.
According to data from the Directorate General of Family Planning, 394 upazilas across the country faced shortages of government-supplied condoms in April this year, while 335 upazilas reported shortages of oral contraceptive pills and 395 faced shortages of intrauterine devices (IUDs). Annual condom distribution fell from 459,000 to around 50,000, while distribution of oral contraceptive pills dropped from 251,000 to 140,000.
The continued shortage of family planning supplies has increased risks to the reproductive health of women and families, including the risk of unintended pregnancies.
Meanwhile, the country’s population growth rate has increased. Bangladesh’s total fertility rate (TFR) has risen for the first time, from 2.3 to 2.4 — a development that population experts say is a major cause for concern, according to a joint survey by UNICEF and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
In terms of workforce size, Bangladesh Railway is among the country’s five largest government agencies, which currently employs 25,522 people. Despite having such a large workforce, questions remain over the railway’s service quality and operational efficiency.
Unclean trains and stations, ticket black-marketing, the sale of overpriced food, engine failures, derailments and irregular schedules have become common issues. Experts say the poor service quality is largely attributable to employees’ lack of skills, unprofessional conduct and the absence of effective accountability mechanisms.
Although the nature of the railway’s work has changed, its posts have not been fully modernised, according to an analysis of the approved organisational structure. The organisation, established during the British colonial era, introduced a new manpower structure in 2021. At the time, 195 cadre posts and 5,278 temporary posts were created, while 40,728 posts were abolished, bringing the total number of approved posts to 47,637.
Despite reducing the number of posts, there were no visible initiatives to improve employee efficiency and productivity.
The efficiency gap is also taking a direct toll on the railway’s finances. Its operating expenditure rose to BDT 38.75 billion in the 2024-25 fiscal year, up BDT 6.52 billion from the previous year, while its revenue also fell by BDT 800 million to BDT 18.45 billion.
The widening gap between revenue and expenditure is reflected in the railway’s operating ratio, a key measure of operational efficiency. In fiscal 1998-99, the railway spent 95.9 paisa to earn BDT 1, but the cost of earning BDT 1 had risen to BDT 2.40 by 2023-24.
Over the past 15 and a half years, around BDT 880 billion has been invested in building new railway lines, procuring locomotives and coaches, and modernising signalling systems. Despite this massive investment, the railway has failed to overcome persistent problems such as slow trains, derailments and the closure of stations due to staff shortages.
While staff shortages are often cited as a reason for the railway’s poor performance, operating costs have not declined in practice, according to Dr Hadiuzzaman, professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
He said the growing expenditure burden was largely the result of waste, negligence and corruption in procurement.
Experts say that in an organisation such as Bangladesh Railway, where nearly BDT 2.50 is spent to generate BDT 1 in revenue, simply increasing salaries or expanding the workforce without ensuring efficiency and accountability would place an additional financial burden on the state.
The BUET professor told Bonik Barta, “More than 50 countries around the world have developed their transport systems around railways, but institutionally, the railway sector in Bangladesh remains far behind. Simply increasing salaries and benefits doesn’t automatically make an organisation efficient or technology-driven. Rather, genuine institutional capacity can only be built through proper recruitment, necessary training and merit-based appointments.”
He also noted that in developed countries, employees’ salaries and increments are determined largely by their performance.
“There’s a fundamental flaw in the assumption that across-the-board salary increases will automatically improve an organisation’s performance,” he said. “If the railway is to be modernised, employee skills, quality of work and proper performance evaluations should be treated as the key benchmarks.”