One year of interim govt: Public admin in 'fragile' state

At an event in early August, Labour and Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (retd.) Sakhawat Hossain remarked, "I didn't fully understand what bureaucratic red tape meant before." Just two days later, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed candidly admitted, "We haven't been able to properly reform the institutions. And we haven't been able to fix the people [the officials]. They don't keep pace with us."

These statements, from two senior advisers of the interim government, reflect a deepening crisis within Bangladesh's public administration. Despite high hopes for a more efficient and impartial bureaucracy following the fall of the Awami League government, a new report from Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has found that indecision, frequent reshuffles, and a lack of institutional effectiveness have caused administrative activities to stagnate.

A bureaucracy in disarray

When the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took office, administrative activities had all but ceased. To get the bureaucracy moving again, the government appointed retired officials and promoted those who had been sidelined. However, these changes were followed by a wave of compulsory retirements and a policy of frequent transfers, creating widespread instability and mistrust.

The result is a fragile and fractured public administration. More than 100 officials have been designated as Officers on Special Duty (OSD), a move often seen as a form of sidelining. Simultaneously, 29 officials at the secretary level and above have been sent into compulsory retirement. As a consequence, 38 top leadership positions in government organisations currently lack permanent appointees and are being managed by officials with acting or additional charge capacities.

A former secretary, speaking anonymously, noted that the administration has been drained of its dynamism. "Little effort has been made to implement the Public Administration Reform Commission's recommendations," he said, "Instead, much attention was devoted to identifying alleged collaborators of fascism."

Meanwhile, a study by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) found a significant lack of institutional effectiveness in public administration over the past year. The research highlighted indecisiveness and frequent backtracking in decision implementation, as well as a lack of transparency in high-level government appointments, promotions, and removals.

Supernumerary promotions

According to sources from the public administration ministry, approximately 1,000 officials have been promoted over the past year. Of them, 764 received supernumerary promotions—promoted without being assigned corresponding posts. This has created a top-heavy administration with many officers in higher ranks but without clear responsibilities.

The statements from the two senior advisers of the interim government, combined with data on appointments, promotions, compulsory retirements, and TIB's research findings, paint a clear picture of stagnation and disorder within the public administration.

Following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August last year, administrative activities came to a near halt for three days. Even after the interim government was formed, many officials were absent from their posts; some resigned voluntarily, while others remained largely inactive.

Contractual appointments

 Despite an initial pledge to end the practice, to revive this collapsed administrative structure, the interim government has appointed several retired bureaucrats on a contractual basis, often in key ministries. Firoz Mia, a public administration expert, criticised this practice, saying, "The interim government has followed the same path as the Awami League government." He added that many of these appointees lack the necessary skills for their positions

Due to widespread compulsory retirements, the designation of numerous officers as OSDs (Officers on Special Duty), frequent reshuffles, indecision, mistrust, and internal confusion, the country's public administration remains unstable and fragile.

A former secretary, speaking anonymously to TBS, noted that there has been no significant improvement in public administration over the past year. 

The official further remarked that the government lacked genuine commitment to reorganising the public administration. "Little effort has been made to implement the Public Administration Reform Commission's recommendations. Instead, much attention was devoted to identifying alleged collaborators of fascism."

DC appointments

Early in the government's tenure, the appointment of deputy commissioners (DCs) sparked protests and allegations of bribery, leading to the cancellation of eight appointments. An investigative committee was formed but found no evidence of corruption.

Internal Conflicts

Proposed reforms have faced open resistance from within the administration. A recommendation to appoint deputy secretaries with a 50-50 ratio from administrative and other cadres was rejected by administration officials. More recently, employees protested and demanded the withdrawal of the new Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance.

OSD status and compulsory retirement

Among the officials who served as Returning Officers in the 2014 and 2018 elections, 29 who had completed 25 years of service have been sent into compulsory retirement. Additionally, citing administrative reasons, nearly 100 officials have been made OSD, including more than 10 secretaries. Several officials have had cases filed against them, and some have been arrested and are currently in jail.

Promotions galore, but merit overlooked

In the past year, a total of 785 officials were promoted to the ranks of deputy secretary, joint secretary, additional secretary, and secretary. As of 4 August 2025, 45 officials were promoted to the positions of secretary and senior secretary.

Priority in promotion, posting, rank, and financial benefits was given to those officials who were able to demonstrate that they had been deprived during the fifteen and a half years of the ousted Awami League government. Also, 764 officials received supernumerary promotions.

Progress in implementing reform commission's proposals

On October 4 last year, the Public Administration Reform Commission was formed under the leadership of Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, to build an efficient and impartial bureaucracy. The commission has made several recommendations.

One of the commission's recommendations was to establish the Superior Executive Service (SES), a move the government is now preparing to implement. Entry into this service will be possible through competitive exams from various services. The SES will encompass all positions from deputy secretary to secretary. Additionally, the Chief Adviser's Office has instructed the cabinet secretary to implement 10 recommendations from the reform commission, including renaming the posts of deputy commissioner and upazila nirbahi officer.

The reform commission recommended restructuring the Public Service Commission into three separate commissions. So far, the Chief Adviser's Office has only directed the formation of the Public Service Commission (Education), and has not addressed the establishment of the Public Service Commission (General) or the Public Service Commission (Health).

Additionally, following the directive of the Chief Adviser's Office, as part of the land registration office reform, the process of transferring the office's functions from the law ministry to the land ministry has begun. The Cabinet Division will formally discuss this matter with the two ministries. The implementation of issuing passports to citizens without verification has also taken place.

On 7 August, after a meeting of the Advisory Council, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told the media that the government has decided to implement a total of 121 recommendations proposed by various reform commissions. Of these, 16 recommendations have been implemented, 85 are underway, 10 are partially implemented, and the feasibility of the remaining 10 is still being tested.

Vacancy in top positions, and administrative gaps

Currently, at least 28 leadership positions in government agencies remain vacant across ministries, divisions, directorates, and offices. These positions are appointed by the public administration ministry. Additionally, at least 10 other department head positions are vacant outside the ministry. In total, at least 38 top-level government positions remain unfilled.

Some department head positions have been vacant for eight months, others for five months, and some for three months. Officials from the relevant divisions and directorates say that despite repeated reminders, no appointments are being made to these top posts. Secretaries, chairpersons, and directors-general are currently managing these roles on a routine or acting basis. As a result, no important or policy-making decisions can be made.

Sources said the top government positions remain vacant due to lobbying by various groups, objections, and the need for approval from the appointment committee, among other reasons.

On 8 January, a committee on public administration was formed under the leadership of Economic Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed. The committee's guidance is required for transfers, disciplinary actions, and appointments of officials at the joint secretary level and above within public administration. Those involved say that seeking the committee's recommendations often causes significant delays.

Enactment of laws, rules, and ordinances

Between 8 August 2024 and 4 August 2025, the public administration ministry recommended the enactment of three ordinances, amendment of three regulations, enactment of one special regulation, and the enactment and amendment of 22 appointment regulations. During this period, 24 departmental cases were filed.

What TIB study says

In a research report, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) stated that there have been shortcomings in institutional accountability within public administration. 

The think-tank further stated that political influence has affected appointments and promotions within the administration. Among various corruption allegations, the illegal acquisition of benefits under the pretext of being deprived and the corruption allegations related to the appointment of DCs are considered significant incidents by TIB. 

Institutional inefficiency has been observed due to unrest within state institutions, efforts to create new political factions, and widespread transfers and reshuffles. In these issues, the government's lack of control was evident.

Impact on public services and development

The instability within the bureaucracy has had tangible consequences for the public. The government's policies and plans have not been implemented on schedule, impacting both public services and development projects.

• Stagnant Development: The Annual Development Programme (ADP) was executed at a rate of only 67.85% during the 2024-25 fiscal year. Development activities under the Health Services Division were particularly affected, reaching a mere 21.74% implementation.
• Food Security: The government's food procurement targets for both the Aman and Boro seasons were missed, necessitating rice imports to maintain supply.
• Local Governance: The decision to remove elected representatives from local government bodies and replace them with bureaucrats has reportedly led to significant disruptions in the delivery of local services.

In spite of the reform commission's recommendations and the government's pledges to implement a number of its recommendations, the chaos and lack of control over the past year have left experts pessimistic. Public administration expert Firoz Mia concluded that "rather than improving, the situation has deteriorated compared to before," and that it could take years for a political government to fully restore stability.