Dhaka, Dec 7 (bdnews24.com) - The government ignored no fewer than five senior civil servants in appointing Ali Imam Majumder cabinet secretary, in a break with conventions and rules.
The caretaker government broke a 60-year tradition as well as the rules in making the latest appointment. The immediate past BNP-Jamaat alliance government broke the rules twice.
On the issue, caretaker adviser and member of the committee on administration affairs Dhiraj Kumar Nath told bdnews24.com, "We will look into the matter. I will find out how it happened."
Assuming office, newly appointed Cabinet Secretary Majumder told the news agency, "Superiority rules have not been violated in my appointment. I am superior in the regular job."
Establishment ministry sources said there were five civil servants with the rank of secretary, superior to Majumder. Of them, four were of the BCS 1973 batch and one of the 1977 batch.
Majumder is of the 1977 batch.
The last merit-based gradation list of civil servants of different batches was published in 1999. According to the updated list, Majumder is positioned at 631 while Rafiqul Islam holds 621st position, making him superior to Majumder.
Four secretaries of the1973 batch are superior to Mir Shahabuddin Mohammad who is on the 220th position, AFM Matiur Rahman 295th, Murtoza Hossain Munshi 373rd and Zafar Ullah 495th.
Most officials of the 1973 and 1977 batches retired in line with the gradation list. Some officials did not get promotion. Seniority of civil servants is determined according to the list.
An official at the establishment ministry on condition of anonymity told bdnews24.com as Majumder was the first to have been promoted to secretary among the six, he could be considered the most senior by early promotion.
However, the senior officials would hold seniority, even if a junior were promoted to secretary early, according to the gradation list.
The government could also activate the 'next to below rule' in case of deprived officials. Sometimes the rule is implemented following an application of the official.
Although five others got promotion after Majumder, they are his seniors as per the rule.
Cabinet Division sources said the tradition of appointing the most senior civil servant as cabinet secretary had been practised for 60 years. The tradition is also followed in the Commonwealth member countries in South Asia.
The four-party government first breached the tradition by appointing prime minister's principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, a contractual appointee, as cabinet secretary in April 2002. He was removed one month and four days later.
The alliance government's second breach was the appointment of another contractual appointee ASM Abdul Halim as cabinet secretary on November 24, 2005. Halim held the top civil service job until August 31, 2006.
The tradition of the most senior civil servant as cabinet secretary was revived through appointing Abu Solaiman Chowdhury to the Cabinet Division on September 3.
bdnews24.com/ahd-ehb/km/my/rhm/rm/ad/bd/1152hrs
