Baharam Khan

Top government officials are at odds over promotions, positions and associated privileges, with a section announcing a pen-down strike to press home their demands.

After the interim government took over, the number of officials in the upper echelon of the civil administration has become over three times the posts.

They fear that such a move would weaken their cadre strength

A designated committee drew up a list of 764 retired bureaucrats for retrospective promotions yesterday.

The Electoral Reform Commission asked 30 returning officers and assistant returning officers to attend a meeting today to gather information on alleged irregularities in the previous three national polls held under the previous Awami League government.

The three-day Deputy Commissioner Conference will be held in Dhaka from February 16 to 18.

Amid much speculation about when the next election might take place, former health and energy secretary AMM Nasir Uddin has been appointed as the new chief election commissioner.

The meeting of the Advisory Council started at 11:03am with Yunus in the chair

The ministry of public administration has issued a nine-point directive urging government employees to exercise caution when attending public events. The instructions, sent by Senior Secretary Dr Mokhles Ur Rahman to all secretaries, aim to prevent potentially embarrassing situations for government officials in the current political climate.

Govt issues 9 directives to civil servants to 'avoid embarrassing situations'

The interim government is seeking out individuals who maintain financial integrity, demonstrate competence and uphold professionalism while selecting secretaries within the administration.

The Election Commission Secretariat has informed Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim government, earlier this month about the preparations needed to hold a free and fair election as political parties’ calls for polls grow louder.

The government is considering promoting around 600 officers from the 24th and 30th BCS batches to joint secretary and deputy secretary, according to officials in the public administration ministry.

The interim government is moving to approve the creation of around 14,000 temporary posts at the community level in the health sector to strengthen the workforce at the grassroots.

Experts have welcomed the decision to raise the age limit for entry into government jobs by two years to 32 as a positive move.

A retired bureaucrat, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan has been tasked with heading three significant ministries for the economy: power, energy and mineral resources; road transport and bridges; and railways.

The government has drafted a list of around 3,500 cadre posts to be filled through the 47th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination. The number may increase, making it the largest BCS circular in the last 11 cycles, confirmed sources at the Chief Adviser’s Office and the Public Service Commission.

The government plans to sell some vegetables at subsidised prices for the low-income groups as part of a pilot project in the capital.

A government committee has recommended raising the maximum age for applying for public service jobs to 35 years for men and 37 years for women.

The government considers raising the age limit for public jobs to 32 or 33 amid demonstrations for it to be 35, said sources at the Secretariat.