Retired officials from 25 BCS cadres excluding the administration cadres on Saturday demanded retrospective promotion with full financial benefits and an ordinance to implement key recommendations of the Public Administration Reform Commission to eliminate inter-cadre discrimination.

Coordination Council of Anti-Discrimination Retired Officers of 25 Cadres led by its convener Ahmed Ali Chowdhury Iqbal raised the demands at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity.

He alleged that during the previous government, around 778 retired and deceased officials from the administration cadre were granted retrospective promotions with full pay and allowances while officials from other 25 cadres were deprived of it.

“Only 72 retired officers from the other cadres were given limited retrospective promotions but they received benefits only in basic pay, gratuity, and pension—unlike the administration cadre officers, who received full pay and allowances,” said Ahmed Ali.

Accusing the administration cadre of “monopolising most positions in ministries and divisions,he said it undermines professionalism and functional balance within the civil service.

He said though posts of deputy secretary and above were originally defined as ‘pool posts’ open to all cadres through competitive examinations, the administration cadre has gradually brought these positions under its own schedule exploiting its positional advantage.

After the 2024 national election, these posts were formally added to the administration cadre’s schedule, effectively sidelining officers from other services.

The council also alleged that while the Public Administration Reform Commission made 84 recommendations including seven on administrative reform but many key recommendations have been “kept secret.”

“We fear that only the parts benefiting the administration cadre will be implemented while the rest will once again be ignored—just as has happened with all 26 previous reform commissions,” Ahmed Ali said.

According to the 1979 Senior Service Pool Order, officers from all cadres were to be recruited through competitive exams to deputy secretary-level posts based on merit and experience.

However, the new proposal allocates 50% of such posts to the administration cadre which he said “contradicts the spirit of the July Charter.

He also reiterated the demand for introducing a Senior Executive Service which is essential for ensuring professionalism in policy formulation and development management.

The Coordination Council of Anti-Discrimination Retired Officers of 25 Cadres urged the government to implement the reform commission’s recommendations in full expressing hope that the present government will end cadre-based inequality and build a service-oriented, accountable administration.

Among others present at the press conference were Secretary General of the Retired Agriculture Officers’ Association; S M Golam Kibria, former Director General of the Department of Films and Publications and former President of the BCS Information Association; Principal I K Selimullah Khondaker, former Principal of Dhaka College and former President of the BCS General Education Association; Professor Mohammad Kafil Uddin and Professor M A Samad, both former Presidents of the BCS General Education Association; Dr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman, former Director of the Department of Livestock Services and Vice President of the Retired BCS Livestock Association; Syed Mahfuz Ahmed , former Additional Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department; Md. Ashraful Islam, a 13th batch officer of the BCS Audit and Accounts Cadre; Engineer Nakeeb Ahsan, retired officer of the Public Health Engineering Cadre; and Engineer S M Enamul Haque, former officer of the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks.

FP/MI