Acting secretary system revived amid concerns

The government has resumed appointing acting secretaries after a gap of more than six and a half years, reviving a long-standing administrative practice that was discontinued in 2019.

The move has sparked mixed reactions within the civil administration, with supporters viewing it as a means of ensuring merit-based appointments while some promotion aspirants consider it an additional hurdle in their career progression.

According to officials at the Ministry of Public Administration, the practice of appointing acting secretaries dates back to the era of the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) and continued after Bangladesh’s independence.

Successive governments, including those led by the BNP and the Awami League, followed the system before it was abolished in December 2019.

Officials familiar with the decision said the previous government discontinued the practice after some senior bureaucrats criticised the designation as demeaning to officers awaiting promotion to the rank of secretary.

The practice was formally revived on 25 May, when Md. Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan was appointed Acting Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division, bringing the issue back into public discussion.

Speaking to The New Nation, Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan said, “We are bound to comply with any government directive. I wish to work wherever and however the government assigns us.”

He noted that the provision for appointing acting secretaries had remained in the service rules despite falling into disuse after the controversy in 2019.

“The rule was there, but it was not practised. I may be the first person through whom the appointment of acting secretaries has resumed,” he said.

Public administration experts believe the system could help reduce controversy surrounding promotions by allowing the government to assess senior officials before granting them full secretary status.

According to them, serving as an acting secretary enables the government to evaluate an officer’s administrative leadership, efficiency, integrity and overall performance before making a permanent appointment.

Officials in the ICT Division, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that as of 15 June, nine secretaries had been attached to the Ministry of Public Administration without substantive postings for various reasons.

They argued that appointing officers directly as full secretaries sometimes leaves the government with limited flexibility if suitable assignments are unavailable.

One recent example is Kazi Anwar Hossain, Additional Secretary of the Local Government Division, who was promoted to secretary and posted to the ICT Division on 25 March before being attached to the Ministry of Public Administration just two months later.

State Minister for Public Administration Md. Abdul Bari said the appointment of acting secretaries was not a new administrative practice.

“This has happened under previous governments as well. Normally, an officer is assigned the responsibility of acting secretary before being promoted as a full secretary,” he said.

He explained that acting secretaries do not receive the salary, allowances or other financial benefits of the secretary grade until they are formally promoted.

Officials supporting the revived system argue that once an officer is promoted as a full secretary, it becomes administratively difficult to reconsider the decision if questions later arise regarding suitability for the post.

They believe a probationary period as acting secretary provides an opportunity to assess an officer’s capabilities before confirming the appointment.

Promotion to the rank of secretary is made on the recommendation of the Superior Selection Board (SSB) and subsequent government approval, with the Prime Minister’s endorsement also required.

However, not all senior officials support the move.

Several additional secretaries aspiring to become secretaries, speaking anonymously, said the revived system has generated dissatisfaction among promotion candidates.

They argued that additional secretaries have already accumulated extensive administrative experience and expect direct promotion to the secretary rank.

Serving as an acting secretary, they said, effectively subjects them to another assessment without any certainty of eventual promotion, while they continue to receive the salary and benefits of an additional secretary.

Some officials described the arrangement as discouraging and said it could affect morale among eligible promotion candidates.

Public administration records also show that appointment as an acting secretary does not automatically lead to promotion.

For example, Badrul Alam Tarafdar was appointed Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education on 23 October 2008 but was never promoted to full secretary.

Similarly, Mohammad Golam Quddus became Acting Secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division on 20 October 2010 and served in that capacity until his retirement on 23 January 2011, w

thout receiving substantive promotion.

Despite differing opinions within the bureaucracy, officials said the government appears to view the revived practice as a mechanism for strengthening leadership selection while maintaining greater flexibility in senior civil service appointments. It must be guided by the national interest, they said