Contractual appointments to senior administrative posts are impeding promotions of eligible officials to secretary-level positions, fuelling discontent within the civil administration, say bureaucrats.

At least 20 of the 70 secretaries in the civil service are working on a contractual basis. Among them, around 10 are senior secretaries holding the most crucial positions in the bureaucracy.

Over the past 14 months, 12 secretaries and senior secretaries have been appointed on contract to key administrative positions. The posts of cabinet secretary, principal secretary, public administration secretary, and home secretary are currently held by contractual appointees who retired nearly a decade ago.

Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid had a 15-year gap from regular service. He had retired in 2016 after being made an officer on special duty (OSD) in 2009.

Principal Secretary M Siraz Uddin Miah; Public Administration Secretary Ehsanul Hoque; Home Secretary Nasimul Ghani; Women and Children Affairs Secretary Momtaz Ahmad; and Planning Commission members MA Akmal Hossain and Mokhlesur Rahman were also appointed on contract after long breaks from regular service -- ranging from eight to 10 years. All six were made OSD in 2009.

According to administrative officials, contractual appointments are widely resented in bureaucracy, as they obstruct the upward mobility of career officials. For instance, if a secretary is appointed on contract, it deprives three to four officials of important postings.

However, the government had no other options available but to reappoint experienced officers on a contractual basis after the July uprising, a member of the Advisory Council told The Daily Star, seeking anonymity.

Explaining the decision, he said, "The government did not want to retain those who held key positions during the previous administration. On the other hand, there was not enough time to promote the officers who had been overlooked back then and appoint them as secretaries. So, at the beginning, contractual appointments were the only option."

"However, at this stage, the number of contractual appointments should gradually be reduced, and qualified officers from the regular service should be promoted to secretary positions," he observed.

AKM Abdul Awal Majumder, a former secretary and a researcher of public administration, said, "When a secretary is appointed on contract, it effectively closes the door of opportunity for several deserving officers."

He further said contract-based appointments should be avoided except for technical positions or under special circumstances.

Former NBR chairman Badiur Rahman said, "Even if the government offers contractual appointments, retired officials should refuse such offers, considering that the practice disrupts the natural progression of the civil service.

"Those who lobby for contractual appointments do not fall under the category of good officers," he added.

Firoz Mia, a public administration expert and ex-additional secretary, said previous governments never made contractual appointments to fill top four or five positions in the civil administration.

"When contractual appointments are made to top administrative posts, it is natural for promotion aspirants to feel frustrated. This often hampers the normal functioning of the administration, as those awaiting promotion tend to lose focus on their responsibilities," he observed.

He further said it is customary for the government to remove officials who were unable to carry out their duties in designated posts as expected.

The interim government, however, decided to take an unusual path. It transferred at least four secretaries barely a year after their contractual appointments, instead of relieving them of their duties due to poor performance, said several officials at the Secretariat.

Terming the decision unusual in the civil administration, they said these transfers further added to resentment among bureaucrats.

Normally, contractual appointments are made for specific purposes. Once the tenure of a contract ends, the government either discontinues or renews it as deemed necessary. Such officials are not usually transferred.

They also noted that many retired officials, reappointed on contract, struggle to adapt to technology-driven administrative processes that have been upgraded in recent years.

Seeking anonymity, an aggrieved additional secretary said, "Those who returned to the administration on contracts after a break of 10-15 years have clearly failed to perform.

"Why would the government still keep them in the administration by transferring them to various positions of lesser significance?" the official asked.

Mohammad Yusuf, appointed as secretary at the shipping ministry in November last year, was removed from the post this month and attached to the public administration ministry.

Even though he has no specific responsibility now, he will continue to receive salary and benefits applicable to a senior secretary, said public administration ministry officials.

MA Akmal Hossain Azad was transferred to the fisheries and livestock ministry only three months after his contractual appointment as secretary of the Health Services Division in August last year. He was later transferred to the Planning Commission as its member.

Around nine months after his appointment as secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, Siddik Zobair was removed from the position on July 22 this year and attached to the public administration ministry.

He was transferred to the National Academy for Planning and Development as its director general on October 12, meaning the government appointed a senior secretary to a post meant for an additional secretary.

Mokhlesur Rahman was moved to the Planning Commission last month after he served as senior secretary at the public administration ministry for 13 months.

There are also examples of officials being transferred from comparatively insignificant ministries to important ones, such as the current home secretary and the public administration secretary.

Seeking anonymity, an additional secretary said, "Retired officials, who have been out of the administration for years, naturally struggle to keep up with many issues.

"It's not their fault. It's just how the system works. The administration functions like a machine that needs constant updates," added the official.