The Public Administration Reform Commission has proposed the restructuring of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) and recommended the establishment of three separate Public Service Commissions (PSCs) for government recruitment.
On Wednesday, Abdul Muid Chowdhury, the head of the commission, submitted the report to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Following this, the press wing of the Chief Adviser published the report.
The report suggests dissolving the unified 'cadre' service under BCS and renaming services based on their specific functions and specialized skills. It recommends dividing the existing BCS cadres into 12 primary services: Bangladesh Administrative Service, Bangladesh Judicial Service, Bangladesh Public Safety Service, Bangladesh Foreign Service, Bangladesh Accounts Service, Bangladesh Audit Service, Bangladesh Revenue Service, Bangladesh Engineering Service, Bangladesh Education Service, Bangladesh Health Service, Bangladesh Agricultural Service, Bangladesh Information Service, and Bangladesh Information and Communication Technology Service.
According to the report, after Bangladesh gained independence, two separate Public Service Commissions were formed�one for cadre services and another for non-cadre services. Eventually, these were merged into a single entity.
Considering the overall situation, the commission now recommends forming three separate Public Service Commissions for recruitment to government positions, each consisting of a chairman and eight members. These commissions include:
1. General Public Service Commission: Responsible for recruitment and promotion examinations for all services except education and health.
2. Education Public Service Commission: Specifically responsible for recruitment and promotion in the education sector.
3. Health Public Service Commission: Solely responsible for recruitment and promotion in the health sector.
The report states that officials in the education and health services will be eligible to participate in examinations for inclusion in the Superior Executive Service (SES) along with other services.
To reduce the dominance of the administration cadre and eliminate inter-cadre disparities, the commission has proposed the creation of a new service called the Superior Executive Service (SES). This service will include officials from the rank of Deputy Secretary to Additional Secretary, who will be eligible for top administrative positions, including Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary, and secretaries of all ministries and divisions.
The report further recommends that promotions in government services should strictly adhere to the availability of vacant positions. It highlights concerns regarding promotions exceeding the number of available positions, which often creates administrative complications. To address this, the commission suggests implementing a rule ensuring that promotions are granted only against existing vacancies.
The commission emphasizes the need to ensure equitable line promotions across all cadres. It acknowledges disparities in certain services that lack positions in grades 1-4 and suggests the creation of necessary positions in these grades for all relevant services. It also recommends establishing proportional positions in various grades based on the workload of specific services. Additionally, promotions to positions equivalent to grades 5 and 3 should be conducted through examinations or evaluations administered by the Public Service Commission.
The report points out that Bangladesh�s field administration continues to operate based on traditions and regulations inherited from British India and Pakistan. Unlike India and Pakistan, which have specific laws governing field administration, Bangladesh lacks such a legal framework. This often results in coordination issues among different government departments. To address this problem, the commission recommends enacting a separate law for field administration.
