Retreating under bureaucratic pressure is a bad omen

After the people's uprising, when the 'Public Administration Reform Commission' was formed alongside other commissions, we hoped that this commission would be able to work independently. We expected it to bring about necessary and significant reforms to weaken the bureaucratic system to some extent. However, when administrative officers organized a protest on December 25, demanding the resignation of Abdul Mueed Chowdhury, Chairman of the Public Administration Reform Commission, over his proposal to introduce a 50 per cent quota for promotion to the position of Deputy Secretary, doubts began to emerge. This raised concerns about whether the commission would be able to work independently under the pressure of the bureaucracy.

Yesterday, news reports confirmed that these concerns had come true. Under bureaucratic pressure, the commission is retreating. According to the latest information, the Public Administration Reform Commission is giving more priority to the demands of bureaucrats. The commission had initially decided to implement promotions to the positions of Deputy Secretary and Joint Secretary through exams, and to maintain a 50 per cent quota for other cadres. However, these proposals will no longer be included in the commission’s final report. Under bureaucratic pressure, the commission is now backtracking on its decisions. This information has been confirmed by related sources.

On the condition of anonymity, two members of the Public Administration Reform Commission informed the media that, at the start of drafting the report, they had not considered the administrative systems of any country other than Bangladesh. The recommendations were prepared based on the context of Bangladesh. However, now the administrative practices of developed countries have been reviewed, revealing that there are two models for administrative systems worldwide. For instance, in India, Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, promotions are based on ACR (Annual Confidential Report) or work performance. In contrast, in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, job announcements are made for each position, and anyone qualified can apply. Subsequently, an independent recruitment committee hires candidates based on an examination.

If promotions through exams and a 50 quota for other cadres were implemented, political corruption and nepotism would certainly decrease significantly. Considering our country's context, the second model mentioned above would be more appropriate. However, why did bureaucrats reject this proposal? This means their interests would be compromised. But the reform commission was formed precisely to reduce the influence of the bureaucracy. If now, under bureaucratic pressure, the commission has to backtrack on its decisions, one can easily imagine what the bureaucracy will do in the future. If the commission retreats from any decisions under bureaucratic pressure, it is absolutely unacceptable. This is not a good omen for the future of the state system either. There should be an investigation into whether such an incident actually occurred. We want the Public Administration Reform Commission to be given the freedom to work independently.