Engage young people in all tiers of govt

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday directed top bureaucrats to find out ways to utilise the power of the young people at different tiers of the government.
During a meeting with the senior secretaries and secretaries of 25 ministries and divisions, he also asked them to ensure that no official travels abroad “without special urgent needs”, said meeting sources.
“All should work realising the young people’s expectations regarding the changes they brought,” a secretary quoted Yunus as saying.
The chief adviser holds the portfolios of the 25 ministries and divisions.
The meeting which lasted for one and a half hours began at 11:00am at the state guesthouse Jamuna.
A secretary who was at the meeting said the chief adviser ordered all government offices to start working in full swing.
He also asked the officials concerned to maintain regular contact with the international organisations and ensure Bangladesh’s participation in the activities of those ogranisations.
Briefing reporters at the Secretariat after the meeting, Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, senior secretary at the public administration ministry, said the chief adviser instructed that prompt decisions should me made regarding the purchase of fertiliser, electricity, fuel and other related items so that the food supply chain remains smooth and uninterrupted.
Prof Yunus also instructed all officials to act responsibly while making decisions, said Mezbah.
He said the chief adviser directed the secretaries to prepare within seven days a priority list on the work to be done to bring normalcy to the country fast.
The secretaries were also instructed not to bring up all matters, except for those very important, before the chief adviser for the time being, Mezbah said.
The senior secretary said they put forward the issue of many jobseekers not being appointed, even after passing the BCS exams (from 28th to 42nd) and being recommended by the Public Service Commission for government jobs.
“We hope that we will be able to make a decision on their appointments within a day or two,” he said.
According to public administration ministry sources, there are around 400 such candidates.
Mezbah said they also informed the chief adviser that many administration cadre officials were “deprived” of promotions over the last few years.
Former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumdar, who was appointed as a special assistant to the chief adviser yesterday, will work on the issue, he said.
According to sources, the Superior Selection Board will hold a meeting soon to consider the promotions of those officials.
However, officials who are facing departmental cases and those punished on different charges, including corruption, will not be considered for promotion.
The cases of officials who were “deprived” of promotions due to their “political links” will be given special consideration, said a top official.
Around 275 senior assistant secretaries, deputy secretaries, and joint secretaries are demanding promotions and their list was presented before the chief adviser, said public administration ministry officials.
The public administration ministry also drew the attention of the chief adviser to the demand of a group of jobseekers for cancellation of the 46th BCS examination and three other recruitment exams for non-cadre jobs.
“The chief adviser said he will make a decision in this regard after discussing the matter with the Public Service Commission,” said the top official.