Activities in the country鈥檚 bureaucratic enclave have remained limited within routine works after the student-led mass protest toppled the past political regime on August 5 and unleashed shockwaves among administrative officers at the secretariat.
Implementation of the policies of the ousted political regime under ruling party Awami League has been suspended after the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus assumed power on August 8, said government officials.
Besides, a series of protests inside the secretariat by deprived and politically sidelined officials and employees against almost all sitting secretaries had created a chaotic situation, said the officials.
Many of the secretaries have kept themselves almost disengaged merely within file works which according to officials turned the administration almost dysfunctional.
Ali Imam Majumder, an adviser to the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, brushed aside that the administration was almost dysfunctional.
A new administration under the interim government has taken shape after 15 years of misrule, corruption and abuse of power by the ousted regime, he told 抖阴精品 on Saturday.
The new administration is facing inertia initially, said Ali Imam, also a former cabinet secretary.
Until now, the interim government has brought back five retired additional secretaries and appointed them secretaries on contractual basis.
Sheikh Abdur Rashid has been made secretary of Secondary and Higher Education Department, Md Ehchanul Haque has been made secretary of Road Transport and Highways Department, Mohammad Abdul Momen has been appointed as secretary of Public Security Department of home ministry, Nasimul Gani as secretary of Public Department of President鈥檚 Office and MA Akmal Hossain Azad as secretary of railway ministry.
Ali Imam said that the initial inertia had already been overcome and the expected momentum in the administration would come soon.
Another former bureaucrat observed that the interim government could not bring about much needed momentum in the administration for a number of reasons.
The transition of power was not that smooth as the interim government came to power amid a student-led uprising causing death of over 600 persons mainly students and youths, said retired secretary Abu Alam Md Shahid Khan.
He said a series of incidents had taken place in the secretariat as almost all secretaries faced protests from the junior officers and employees on alleged deprivation.
Amid such chaotic situation, about 201 officials from the rank of deputy secretary were promoted as joint secretary on August 19, after 117 were promoted to deputy secretary post on August 13.
On August 25, the interim government promoted 131 joint secretaries to the posts of additional secretaries.
According to officials, many of the recently promoted officers had been deprived of promotions and due posts in ministries and divisions because of political reasons.
Abu Alam also noted that the bureaucratic enclave, at the heart of the capital city, had also witnessed protests garnered by different groups causing security concerns for many officials.
Of the protests, college students entered the secretariat on August 20 and closed down almost all gates for hours to press home their demands.
On August 25, protesting Ansar members sealed off the administration hub, the secretariat, from the afternoon trapping the officers and employees inside it until the protesters were dispersed by students in the evening.
The officials said the sluggish activities in the administration would likely to continue until the completion of a full secretary-level reshuffle which was imminent.
Many sitting secretaries are passing through uncertainty because they were appointed by the Awami League regime.
Abu Alam said the interim government was yet to give any clear directives to the sitting secretaries that could be a major reason for secretaries to keep themselves disengaged.
He recalled that the first caretaker government formed after the fall of autocratic regime of HM Ershad in 1990, held meetings with bureaucrats within a week despite resentment towards some top bureaucrats by junior officials.
He, however, admitted that the number of secretaries facing resentments from subordinate was much higher this time.