A number of aggrieved government officials who have been languishing as officers on special duty (OSD) for five to seven years are to appeal to the chief election commissioner for advancements in their careers.
“We will appeal to the chief election commissioner to at least give us postings,” Abdul Bari, one of the OSDs from the 85th batch, told the Dhaka Tribune over phone on Friday.
He said: “An appointment to the chief election commissioner has been sought through his Personal Secretary, Md Mazharul Islam.”
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Mazharul Islam confirmed that the officers have sought an appointment but no decision on this has been made yet.
Meanwhile, Abdul Bari pointed out that there were instances that during the previous interim government, the election commission had given promotion and postings.
On Wednesday, dozens of aggrieved government officers separately met the Cabinet Secretary Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and the Senior Secretary, Abdus Sobhan Sikder to the public administration ministry.
“When we met the cabinet secretary, he told us that the election commission was now the authority to give postings,” another officer, now OSD for about seven years, said.
Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, an officer from the 85th batch said: “We would request the chief election commissioner to give us promotions and postings as now there was no political governments.”
The officials alleged that they were being deprived of their due promotions and postings during the immediate past Awami League-led 14-party alliance government’s tenure although they had no complaints against them. However, many officials who had allegations of corruption against them were given promotions, they said.
Cabinet secretary, in the meantime, said if an officer behaved or acted against the government, naturally it could not cannot promote that officer.
According to official records, over 600 officers including four secretaries, 39 additional secretaries and 338 joint-secretaries were made OSDs at the public administrations ministry during the last five years.
The government has to pay the OSDs without taking any service from them.
